INTERVIEW: ENGINE DOMINANCE SHOW REPORT: ‘PROFIT HUNTER’ IN COMMERCIAL PARIS AIR SHOW UNLEASHED AVIATION 2017 P 7 P 21 P 28

AUGUST-SEPTEMBER 2017 `100.00 (INDIA-BASED BUYER ONLY)

VOLUME 10 • ISSUE 4 WWW.SPSAIRBUZ.COM ANAIRBUZ EXCLUSIVE MAGAZINE ON FROM INDIA

PAGE 10 DRONES AND CIVIL AVIATION

AN SP GUIDE PUBLICATION RNI NUMBER: DELENG/2008/24198 ENGINE INTELLIGENCE. HUMAN EXPERTISE.

Powered by advanced analytics, Pratt & Whitney experience, and your fleet expertise. Our shared insights become your most valuable assets.

ALL TOGETHER, SMARTER. enginewise.com

A UNITED TECHNOLOGIES COMPANY table of contents

drones / regulations P10 drones and civil aviation The variety and number of UAVs in the non-military segment, the roles these are being employed in and their capability as well as performance levels, are multiplying rapidly.

exclusive interview / embraer commercial P7 ‘Profit Hunter’ Unleashed Identifying Asia-Pacific as one of the most promising markets for the E-Jets, in a one-on-one with SP’s AirBuz, Cesar Pereira outlines his vision and plans for the region.

P&W Customer Training Center in Hyderabad interview / pratt & whitney departments P18 Pratt & Whitney Transforming P2 a word from Editor Aviation P3 neWS BRIEFS Palash Roy Chowdhury, Managing Director, P32 FInally Pratt & Whitney India, in conversation with Neetu Dhulia of SP’s AirBuz.

P12 drones / security security – plug the gaps P14 regional aviation / role jets can decongest major hubs P21 engines / p&w Engine Dominance in One-on-one P24 technology / connectivity interview / honeywell staying connected show report / P26 “The importance that we give to the P28  paris air show 2017 India market is very, very high!” Show Bills $150 Billion Deals Awards 2017 Neelu Khatri, President Aerospace, Honeywell India, talks to Rohit Goel of Special SP’s AirBuz about Honeywell’s connected Contribution to solutions for the Indian market. Business Aviation

SP’S AIRBUZ • ISSUE 4 • 2017 • 1 A WORD FROM EDITOR

PUBLISHER AND EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Jayant Baranwal EDITOR Air Marshal B.K. Pandey (Retd) ASSISTANT GROUP EDITOR R. Chandrakanth (Bengaluru) DEPUTY MANAGING EDITOR Neetu Dhulia CONTRIBUTORS Group Captain A.K. Sachdev (Retd) Group Captain Joseph Noronha (Retd) S.R. Swarup, Vasuki Prasad NE OF THE PROBLEMS that afflicts the Indian industry and which is Shriniwas Mishra likely get worse with the passage of time is the congestion at the six major CHAIRMAN & MANAGING DIRECTOR that serve as hubs. In this issue of SP’s AirBuz, R. Chandrakanth analyses the prob- Jayant Baranwal lem and explains how regional jet can be used mitigate this problem. PLANNING & BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT OThe other problem pertains to the growing menace of unregulated operations by Executive Vice President: Rohit Goel Drones and its implications for air safety. This issue carries a piece by the undersigned on the ADMIN & COORDINATION subject of proper integration of Drones with manned air traffic in civil airspace. In his article Bharti Sharma in this issue of SP’s AirBuz on , Lt General P.C. Katoch (Retd) delves on the ASST - ADMIN, HR & INFRA Pooja Tehlani inadequate security arrangements at civil airports in India and how exploitation of this weak- CREATIVE DIRECTOR ness by anti-national elements could have serious implications for national security. Anoop Kamath A major event on the global aviation scene in the recent past was the 52nd Air Show GRAPHIC DESIGNERS at Paris held from June 19 to 25 at the Le Bourget airport. The two leading aerospace Vimlesh Kumar Yadav , Sonu Singh Bisht majors in the global civil aviation industry displayed their latest products and notched Designer (3D animation): Kunal Verma up large orders. Boeing launched the 737 MAX 10, the newest member of the 737 MAX Research Asst/Graphics: Survi Massey family, with more than 361 orders and Airbus announced $39.7 billion worth of new busi- SALES & MARKETING Director Sales & Marketing: Neetu Dhulia ness including firm orders for 144 airliners. Embraer, the aerospace major from Brazil General Manager Sales: Rajeev Chugh displayed the E195-E2, the ‘Profit Hunter’ which is the newest member of the company’s SP’S WEBSITES family of regional jets. A detailed report on the civil aviation component of the Paris Air Sr Web Developer: Shailendra Prakash Ashish Show by R. Chandrakanth figures in this issue of SP’s AirBuz. Web Developer: Ugrashen Vishwakarma Given the recent policy changes, Pratt & Whitney sees tremendous opportunities the © SP Guide Publications, 2017 Regional Connectivity Scheme will generate for the civil aviation industry. In an inter- SUBSCRIPTION/ CIRCULATION view conducted by Neetu Dhulia of SP’s AirBuz, Palash Roy Chowdhury, Managing Direc- Annual Inland: `600 • Foreign: US$180 tor, Pratt & Whitney India, made it clear that the company sees India as an important E-mail: [email protected] [email protected] strategic market and supports the ‘Make in India’ campaign of the Modi-led government LETTER TO EDITOR that translates its vision of making India a global manufacturing hub. A report on the [email protected] interaction is a part of this issue of SP’s AirBuz. Embraer too is highly optimistic about FOR ADVERTISING DETAILS CONTACT the market prospects in the Asia-Pacific region. The company estimates that the Asia- [email protected] Pacific region, including China, will see receive 1,710 new airliners by 2036 and in the next [email protected] two decades, the total in-service fleet will reach 1,790 aircraft. In a one-on-one with SP’s SP GUIDE PUBLICATIONS PVT LTD AirBuz, Cesar Pereira, the newly appointed Vice President, Commercial Aviation Asia- A-133 Arjun Nagar (Opposite Defence Colony), New Delhi 110003, India. Pacific,tof Embraer, outlines his vision and plans for the region. Tel: +91 (11) 24644693, 24644763, 24620130 Honeywell International broke new ground in India when for the first time, it show- Fax: +91 (11) 24647093 cased a Boeing 757 remodelled as a ‘Connected Aircraft’. The high speed connectivity that E-mail: [email protected] this technology offers, adds a new dimension in the efficiency and productivity of plat- BENGALURU, INDIA forms employed in the civil aviation industry across the board and has the potential to be 204, Jal Vayu Vihar, Kalyan Nagar a game changer. The company sees a huge market for this innovative technology not only Bengaluru 560043, India. in India, but in the global market as well. Neelu Khatri, President Aerospace, Honeywell Tel: +91 (80) 23682204 www.spguidepublications.com India, elaborates on this concept in a discussion with Rohit Goel of SP’s AirBuz. All this and more in this issue of SP’s AirBuz. Welcome aboard and wish you happy Owned, published and printed by Jayant Baranwal, printed at Kala Jyothi Process Pvt Ltd landings! and Published at A-133, Arjun Nagar (Opposite Defence Colony), New Delhi 110003, India. All rights reserved.

MEMBER OF: B.K. Pandey APPLIED FOR Editor

2 • SP’S AIRBUZ • Issue 4 • 2017 www.spsaIrbuz.com G quently, what elevated the business jet from a luxury toy to what is increas- ingly seen as a vital corporate tool? In the US, hundreds of Fortune 500 com- panies now flaunt their own aircraft, with companies arguing that this vital conveyance saves time and boosts pro- ductivity.NEWS A recentBRIEFS CNN report quoted

( AIRLINE NEWS delivered planes and interim bridge financ- both continue to enjoy a strong and ing for the rest for a period of 15 months. healthy relationship. “We remain commit- “In addition to the government guarantee, ted to our strategic partnership which has INTERLINE AGREEMENT BETWEEN QATAR Air India will offer the aircraft as security. grown to become the largest carriers of AIRWAYS AND VISTARA The facility should be a direct loan without international traffic to and from India with In August this year, flag carrier Qatar the requirement for formation of a special one in five passengers flying with Etihad Airways entered into a new interline part- purpose vehicle structure, which requires Airways and Jet Airways. “Together, we nership with the Tata-Singapore Airlines title transfer,” the tender document said. operate 257 services each week, each way Vistara. The agreement allows passengers As part of fleet expansion plan, in 2006, Air between Abu Dhabi and 15 cities across of each airline to seamlessly under India had placed orders with Boeing for 68 India,” the spokesperson said. Stressing that a single ticket on the other’s network via aircraft. The list included 27 Dreamliners, 15 speculation of anything to the contrary is Indian gateways to destinations to which -300ER, eight Boeing 777-200LR completely misguided and misinformed. both airlines operate. The al- and 18 Boeing 737-800. The spokesperson said the dynamic part- lowances of the passengers will be as per nership with Jet Airways has resulted in in- the issuing airline’s rules. Qatar Airways DELTA, AIR FRANCE-KLM, VIRGIN creased benefits for travellers. The response operates services from Doha to New Delhi, ATLANTIC JOINT VENTURE was to queries on whether Etihad is looking Kochi, Ahmedabad, Amritsar, Bengaluru, to sell its stake in Jet Airways. A leading Mumbai, Khozikode, Kolkata, Goa, Hyder- full-service carrier, Jet Airways flies to 65 abad, Chennai, Nagpur and Thiruvanabtha- destinations, including in the Middle East, puram. Vistara does not currently operate Europe and North America. Jet Airways, to Khozikode, Kolkata, Goa, Hyderabad, with a fleet of 113 aircraft, has code share Chennai, Nagpur and Thiruvananthapuram. pacts with various international airlines, Vistara has interline or through check-in Delta will invest €375 million to acquire including Delta Air Lines, KLM Royal Dutch agreements with Air France, KLM, Japan ten per cent equity in the Air France-KLM Airlines and Air France. Airlines, All Nippon Airways (ANA), Brit- Group. In addition, Delta will be on the ish Airways, Finnair, Aeroflot, Ethiopian latter’s Board of Directors. Air France-KLM JET AIRWAYS ASKS JUNIOR PILOTS TO Airlines, Austrian Airlines, Kenya Airways, will invest 31 per cent in Virgin Atlantic in FURNISH ` ONE CRORE BONDS Emirates, and Ethiopian Airlines. It also which Delta already has a 49 per cent stake. has codeshare partnerships with its parent Since 2009, Delta has a joint venture with Singapore Airlines and Singapore’s regional Air France-KLM. Alitalia was added in 2010. subsidiary SilkAir. In 2012, Delta and Virgin Australia launched a joint venture. Virgin Atlantic was added in AIR INDIA TO PURCHASE SIX DREAMLINERS 2013 and Delta also took 49 per cent stake in the Richard Branson promoted British carrier. The Atlanta-based carrier has been steadily expanding its global footprint via a series of joint ventures, marketing agree- ments and investments. Expanding beyond Jet Airways has asked junior pilots to furnish Europe, in 2015, Delta took a 3.5 per cent surety bonds worth up to ` one crore and stake in China Eastern Airline and entered serve the airline for at least five to seven into an enhanced marketing arrangement years. The development comes at a time with the latter who is also a member of when many of its junior pilots have been the SkyTeam alliance. A similar coopera- asked to take ten days off every month, a The government is planning on selling tion agreement and a 49 per cent stake in move that would result in up to 30 per cent stake in Air India, but the airline is going AeroMexico was done in 2017. The same pay cut, as part of cost saving measures. ahead with its fleet expansion plans and is year Delta also announced a joint venture Sources at the National Aviators Guild seeking financing worth $740 million for with Korean Air Lines, another SkyTeam (NAG), the pilots’ union of Jet Airways, said the purchase of six Boeing 787 Dreamliners. member. Delta also holds a 9.5 per cent the bond requirement has been communi- The airline has invited offers from banks equity stake in Brazilian carrier GOL. cated to the junior pilots. Jet Airways has and financial institutions to arrange bridge more than 200 junior pilots including those financing for the amount. Earlier in March JET AIRWAYS-ETIHAD STRATEGIC undergoing training. The NAG would be this year, Air India had sought $470 million PARTNERSHIP taking up the matter with the management from banks and financial institutions to Etihad Airways has said it is committed to a soon, sources added. On July 20, 2017, Jet purchase four Dreamliners. Of the six now strategic partnership with Jet Airways that Airways said that certain developments on order, three aircraft have already been continues to be strong and healthy. The in the market, including that in the Gulf delivered, while the rest would be delivered Gulf carrier’s assertion comes amid reports region, as well as its continued efforts to en- by October 2017. The government has now that Jet Airways is in exploratory talks to hance internal efficiencies, have resulted in indicated that they would issue guarantee sell stake to Delta Air Lines. With 24 per the review of network as also fleet and crew for all the six aircraft and Air India is looking cent stake, Etihad is a strategic partner of utilisation. Consequently, as a proactive at refinancing the bridge loan for the three Jet Airways. An Etihad spokesperson said measure, the company has made interim

SP’S AIRBUZ • Issue 4 • 2017 • 3 quently, what elevated the business jet from a luxury toy to what is increas- ingly seen as a vital corporate tool? In the US, hundreds of Fortune 500 com- panies now flaunt their own aircraft, with companies arguing that this vital conveyance saves time and boosts pro- ductivity.NEWS A recentBRIEFS CNN report quoted

Dubai (ICD) but are managed and operated AIR INDIA - PROFIT BEFORE DIVESTMENT EVENTS CALENDAR independently. The airlines will also further As per Rajiv Bansal who took over as Chair- develop their hub at Dubai international man and Managing Director Air India in THE ELITE - NEW YORK airport. HH Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al August this year, higher revenue, healthy 8–9 September Maktoum, Chairman and Chief Executive of profit, on-time flights and better connect Essex County Airport, New Jersey, USA Emirates Group and Chairman of Flydubai with the fliers are among the top goals for www.theeliteevents.com/new-york said “This is an exciting and significant the state-owned airline before it goes for pri- AVIATION EXPO CHINA 2017 development for Emirates, Flydubai and vatisation. “I have a very basic target which 19–22 September Dubai aviation. Both airlines have grown is to run the airline profitably,’’ Rajiv Bansal China National Convention Centre, independently and successfully over the told the media in an interview. The airline Beijing, China years and this new partnership will unlock can be run efficiently only with the help of www.beijingaviation.com the immense value that the complementary my colleagues, he said. Air India made a loss models of both companies can bring to con- of Rs 3,643 crore on a revenue of Rs 20,613 NBAA-BACE sumers, to each other and to Dubai.” crore in the financial year 2016-17. 10–12 October Las Vegas Convention Centre, Henderson Executive Airport, Las Vegas, NV, USA ( AIRLINE FINANCE ( INDUSTRY NEWS www.nbaa.org/events/bace/2017 MRO EUROPE 3–5 October FINANCIAL PERFORMANCE SPICEJET PRATT AND WHITNEY ENGINES FOR ExCeL London, London, UK FY 2017-18 INDIGO AND GOAIR http://mroeurope.aviationweek.com/eu17 DUBAI AIRSHOW 12–16 November DWC, Dubai Airshow Site, Dubai www.dubaiairshow.aero alignments to its crew work patterns, which will be reviewed in future, in line with net- work growth. SpiceJet’s results for the first quarter of fiscal Pratt and Whitney has assured the In- year 2017-18 were a mixed bag with some dian Directorate General of Civil Aviation PARTNERSHIP AGREEMENT BETWEEN areas of concern. SpiceJet’s revenues grew by (DGCA) that the company will provide EMIRATES AND FLYDUBAI 23 per cent against a capacity increase of 18 new engines as replacements by the end per cent compared to the same quarter last of September this year, for ten grounded fiscal year. This was driven by a combina- A-320neo aircraft of IndiGo and GoAir. This tion of rising fares and load factors. SpiceJet was conveyed by Pratt and Whitney when continued to be very aggressive in sales they were called in by the DGCA recently. during the quarter reflected in the high load The DGCA asked the Pratt and Whitney factors recorded. SpiceJet is no different and officials to treat India as a priority market increased the average fare per passenger from where they are getting good business. by nine per cent to `3,943. India’s largest The DGCA could understand if one or two domestic carrier, IndiGo, averaged `4,626 aircraft are grounded; but here the num- per passenger. Load factors were a healthy ber is around ten and it is a serious issue. Emirates and Flydubai have entered into a 93.4 per cent. Total costs as compared to IndiGo, at present, has eight and GoAir two partnership which will see the two Dubai- the same period last year grew by 23 per A-320neos grounded. The DGCA had in based airlines partner in code sharing and cent, outstripping capacity growth of 18 per April 2017, ordered a detailed inspection collaboration in their network with coordi- cent. This naturally reflects on profitability. of the Airbus A-320neo planes of IndiGo nated scheduling. The agreement will allow SpiceJet was consistently ranked second in and GoAir that are equipped with Pratt & Emirates to make use of Flydubai’s regional on-time performance, a key influencer for Whitney engines. The direction came after network and allow the airline to make use the Indian passenger. Interestingly no men- the DGCA took serious note of incidents of the expansive global network of Emirates tion was made of this in the results. Aircraft where some IndiGo and GoAir aircraft to allow more destinations to passengers of utilisation was fairly low at approximately had to make emergency landings due to both airlines. The goal of this partnership nine hours per aircraft averaged between problems with the engine. In July this year, is to optimise the networks of both airlines the Bombardier Q400 and Boeing 737 fleets. while talking about Quarter-1 results, Aditya to open more city pairings and to feed pas- We estimate the utilisation of the Boeing Ghosh President IndiGo had acknowledged sengers from the networks of the airlines 737 will be higher at around 10 to 11 hours. the problem with the engines. Rescheduling to each-other. Both Emirates and Flydubai Expect the airline to increase utilisation to of services due to the grounding of planes are owned by Investment Corporation of drive revenues. appeared to have had an effect on IndiGo’s

4 • SP’S AIRBUZ • Issue 4 • 2017 www.spsaIrbuz.com G quently, what elevated the business jet from a luxury toy to what is increas- ingly seen as a vital corporate tool? In the US, hundreds of Fortune 500 com- panies now flaunt their own aircraft, with companies arguing that this vital conveyance saves time and boosts pro- ductivity.NEWS A recentBRIEFS CNN report quoted

six-year check downtime and systems APPOINTMENT improvements which the company says will reduce maintenance costs and increase AIR BP Vice President of Corporate Development aircraft availability. On July 17, 2017, leading international avia- & Strategy. BOEING FORECAST FOR NEW AIRPLANES tion fuel products and services supplier, Air CLUB ONE AIR BP, announced the appointment of Matt IN INDIA Elliott as Chief Commercial Officer. Rajan Mehra has been promoted as the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Club One AIRBUS Air with effect from August 17, 2017. Airbus has appointed Luo Gang as CEO of Airbus’ New Innovation Centre to be set up EMBRAER in China at a location to be announced at a On August 14, 2017, Embraer announced later date. the appointment of Stephen Friedrich as Chief Commercial Officer for the Com- BOEING pany’s Executive Aviation Business Unit, The Board of Directors, Boeing, has effective immediately. elected Caroline B Kennedy as a new member. SR TECHNICS Boeing forecasts a demand for 2,100 new On June 28, 2017, Boeing announced an SR Technics, a world leading MRO service airplanes in India over the next 20 years, expansion of the enterprise responsibili- provider, announced the appointments of valued at $290 billion. The company ties of Greg Smith, currently the compa- Jianfeng (Jeff) Hu as Deputy CEO and Yujie released the report as part of its annual ny’s Chief Financial Officer and Executive (Jessy) Zheng as Deputy CFO. Current Market Outlook briefings for India. “Commercial aerospace demand in India continues to grow at unprecedented rates,” market share with figures showing a fall in ENHANCED A-380 SUPER JUMBO said Dinesh Keskar, Senior Vice President, July 2017, the lowest for any month this year Asia Pacific and India Sales, Boeing Com- for the airline. mercial Airplanes. “The increasing number of passengers combined with a strong LARGER SHARE OF FOREIGN TRAFFIC FOR exchange rate, low fuel prices and high load DOMESTIC CARRIERS factors bode well for India’s aviation market, Unlike many countries, international air especially for the low-cost carriers.”Single- traffic to and from India continues to be aisle airplanes, like the Boeing 737MAX fam- dominated by foreign airlines, primarily ily, will continue to account for the largest from West Asia. But Indian carriers have share of new deliveries, with airlines in India been increasing their share of the pie needing approximately 1,780 airplanes. “The steadily. From about 30 per cent in FY14, Plans for an enhanced A-380 Super Jumbo, Boeing 737MAX is the fastest-selling air- the share of domestic airlines in India’s the A-380plus, with new large winglets to plane in Boeing history because customers international traffic rose to 34 per cent in provide up to four per cent fuel burn sav- throughout the world, including India, want FY16 and further to 35 per cent in FY17, ings and a 13 per cent cost reduction per its combination of performance, flexibility says a report by rating agency ICRA. This seat versus the current A-380 have been and efficiency,” said Keskar. “Boeing also is a result of Indian carriers outperforming unveiled by Airbus. A development study continues to offer the most complete family their international counterparts in traffic released by the company also envisages an of wide-body airplanes, as evidenced by our growth. For instance, in FY17, while overall optimised A-380 maintenance programme more than 85 per cent in-service market traffic growth to and from India was 8.4 and enhanced cabin features. The new share in India.” Boeing projects a worldwide per cent, the domestic carriers grew their winglets are about 4.7m high, with an up demand for 41,030 new airplanes over the international traffic at a faster 11.8 per cent. let of 3.5m and a down let of 1.2m, and are next 20 years, with Indian carriers needing While this is much slower than the about designed to improve aerodynamics and re- more than 5.1 percent of the total global 22 per cent growth in domestic air traffic in duce drag. The cabin layout is based on the demand. Boeing’s Current Market Outlook FY17, the foreign traffic opportunity is also “cabin enablers” and allows up to 80 more is the longest running jet forecast and is re- getting much attention from Indian carri- seats. There are also redesigned stairs, a garded as the most comprehensive analysis ers. More flights by established players such combined crew-rest compartment, sidewall of the aviation industry. as Air India and Jet Airways and relatively stowage removal, and a new nine-abreast new entrants IndiGo Airlines and SpiceJet, seat configuration in Premium Economy have aided the trend of growing market and 11-abreast in Economy. Airbus says the ( REGIONAL AVIATION share on foreign routes. Jet Airways and Air A-380plus will have an increased maximum India have, over the years, built up signifi- takeoff weight of 578 tonnes to provide the cant share on the international routes (13.5- flexibility to carry the extra passengers over UDAN: NORMS RELAXED FOR SECOND 15.5 per cent), while IndiGo and SpiceJet are today’s range of 8,200nm or to fly 300nm ROUND OF BIDDING gradually building up their presence (about further. The aircraft also features longer In the last week of August this year, the 3 per cent share each). maintenance check intervals, a reduced government unveiled revised norms under

SP’S AIRBUZ • Issue 4 • 2017 • 5 quently, what elevated the business jet from a luxury toy to what is increas- ingly seen as a vital corporate tool? In the US, hundreds of Fortune 500 com- panies now flaunt their own aircraft, with companies arguing that this vital conveyance saves time and boosts pro- ductivity.NEWS A recentBRIEFS CNN report quoted the Regional Connectivity Scheme (RCS) tions over three years. Once airlines move and reach Electronics City in 15 minutes. to attract more airlines to operate services back to the new T1, the existing T2 will be Launched by Minister of State for Civil in J&K, North-Eastern states, Andaman converted into T4 and integrated with T3. Aviation Jayant Sinha on August 4 this and Nicobar Islands and Lakshadweep. Operations will be streamlined for the pas- year, the service is all set to takeoff in The Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA) has senger and the airline. three months. KIA is the first airport and also included Himachal Pradesh and Ut- One of the more significant upgrades Bengaluru is the first city in the country tarakhand as priority areas. The aim is to will be away from the public eye. At with such a service. Operated by Thumby increase the services to these states, whose present, flights to/from T1 need to use a Aviation Private Ltd, the Heli-Taxi service aviation potential at present have not been circuitous route to 29-11 forcing will initially fly two helicopters, a Bell 412 fully utilised. The MoCA has relaxed the ATC to overload the central runway 28-10. with two pilots carrying 13 passengers norms of RCS for these states and union The new runway to be built in 2021, when and a Bell 407 with two pilots and five territories. Civil Aviation Minister Ashok commissioned, will hopefully overcome passengers. The fleet will be expanded Gajapathi Raju said the scheme is be- the forced displaced threshold on the based on demand. Equating the Heli- ing liberalised and the focus would be on existing runway 29-11, which limits its Taxis to the UDAAN project for regional priority areas. The new norms also allow usable length. connectivity, Sinha said the service will routes with a stage length less than 150km ensure quick, seamless transfers to and for operations through fixed-wing aircraft. AAI OWNS 55,800 ACRES OF LAND from the airport at a cost similar to a This, the MoCA believes, would enhance Minister of State, Ministry of Civil Avia- luxury taxi. Although the fares have connectivity and ease the formation of tion Jayant Sinha, informed Lok Sabha not been fixed, the KIA-Electronics networks under the scheme. To encourage that the Airports Authority of India (AAI) City service could be in the range of helicopter services under UDAN scheme, owns around 55,800 acres of land across `3,000 to `4,000, according to Group the viability gap funding (VGF) has been the country out of which 798 acres has Captain K.N.G. Nair, Chairman and increased and ten per cent of the estimated been encroached. The use of land under Managing Director, Thumby Aviation. The annual inflow in the Regional Connectivity AAI is restricted to discharge its functions infrastructure at Electronics City is ready Fund has been earmarked for operations related to airports; but the National Avia- to land the helicopters. About 60,000 through choppers. The second round of tion Policy 2016 envisages to unlock the passengers pass through KIA every day. bidding RCS has been held and the Ministry potential of land by liberalising the end-use Even if 100 of them take the Heli-Taxis, expects to announce the names of winners restrictions for existing and future airports, the service will become viable. The opera- on November 30 this year. he said. The majority of the land area tor, based on an extensive pre-launch under encroachment is around Mumbai study, has initially targeted about 60 to 70 and Juhu airports, which are inhabited by passengers daily. ( INFRASTRUCTURE slum dwellers. The land under encroach- ment here is 358.15 acres. Other major CRASH OF HELICOPTER CARRYING encroachments are 127.37 acres in Bhopal CHIEF MINISTER FADNAVIS PLANS FOR EXPANSION OF and 119.82 acres in Hyderabad. The Mum- The initial probe conducted by the Aircraft NEW DELHI AIRPORT bai Ltd has entered Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) into Inspired by a massive increase in pas- into an agreement with the Government the crash-landing in May this year of the senger traffic at Terminal 1 (T1), the GMR of Maharashtra in order to remove the en- helicopter carrying the Maharashtra Chief Group-led Delhi International Airport croachment from airport land in coordina- Minister Devendra Fadnavis, has prima Limited (DIAL) consortium, has unveiled tion with AAI. In the case of Bhopal airport, facie found lapses on the part of the pilot an ambitious plan to expand Indira Gandhi Madhya Pradesh government has agreed which could have led to the accident. The International Airport, New Delhi in three to exchange 96 acres of land with AA and AAIB which comes under the Ministry phases in the period 2018 to 2026. Delhi provide an alternate site for the remaining of Civil Aviation, has wrapped up its airport handled 57.7 million passengers in land area. “The process of rehabilitation initial probe into the helicopter accident the financial year 2016-17 against a maxi- of illegal occupants is a subject matter and submitted its report. Chief Minister mum handling capacity of 70 million. The of concerned state governments and the Devendra Fadnavis had a narrow escape passenger traffic for FY2017 has already role of AAI and other private operators when soon after takeoff, the helicopter crossed the capacity of the existing termi- is limited to assistance and persuasion. got entangled in the wires overhead and nal of 20 million. The departure terminal, Nonetheless, AAI has undertaken all efforts crash-landed in Latur district in Maha- T1-D and arrival terminal, T1-C will be in an active manner to coordinate with the rashtra after the pilot tried to descend due merged in to one futuristic terminal and concerned state governments to remove to bad weather. “The pilot failed to assess will be expanded to accommodate 40 mil- such encroachments,” Sinha said. the load on the helicopter on a day of lion passengers. The original international high temperature. Since high temperature terminal T2, mothballed after T3 was com- makes it harder for a helicopter to get off missioned, has been renovated and can ( ROTARY WING the ground, he should not have taken off handle up to 14 million passengers. DIAL with almost full load,” the official added. has asked the airlines to partially shift op- Besides, the Standard Operating Proce- erations from T1 to T2 on an interim basis, INDIA’S FIRST HELI-TAXI SERVICE AT KIA dure laid down for helicopter operations, from October 2017. T1 will be upgraded You could soon take a helicopter taxi from was also not followed properly, a source in in parallel with reduced on-going opera- Kempegowda International Airport (KIA) the AAIB said. SP

6 • SP’S AIRBUZ • Issue 4 • 2017 www.spsaIrbuz.com G INTERVIEW EMBRAER COMMERCIAL

EXCLUSIVE

Cesar Pereira is the newly appointed Vice President of Commercial Aviation for Asia-Pacific. Cesar has been working at Embraer for 14 years and prior to his current role, he was the Head of Consulting at Embraer Commercial Aviation, where he worked hand in hand with airlines to shape their planning and strategies.

‘PROFIT HUNTER’ UNLEASHED

Embraer estimates that the Asia-Pacific region, including China, will see 1,710 new deliveries by 2036, and the total in-service fleet reach 1,790 aircraft over the same 20- year period. Identifying Asia-Pacific as one of the most promising markets for the E-Jets, in a one-on-one with SP’s AirBuz, Cesar Pereira outlines his vision and plans for the region.

SP’s AirBuz (SP’s): How do you feel taking over the responsi- identified over 800 markets that have less than 1-5 daily flights. bility of Asia-Pacific region? These routes could benefit from better frequency levels by using Cesar Pereira (Pereira): Asia-Pacific is a fascinating region. I 70-130 seat jets. We are advocating to airlines the benefit of mov- feel extremely excited about the opportunity to learn about the ing from ‘red oceans’ to ‘blue oceans’. region and its specificities, but also happy to bring new insights In India, for instance, there is a big gap between 70-seaters from my previous experience of working with several airlines all turboprops and 180-seaters narrowbodies. The first mover in the over the world, from different business models. 70-130+ seats segment will have a great advantage by tapping this gap. We see a great potential in India given the opportunities for SP’s: What are your plans towards this region? further regional connectivity and remain actively engaged in this Pereira: I see untapped opportunities in Asia-Pacific that our 70- very promising growth market. 130+ seat jets can unlock. The rapid growth of air traffic in the In the 70-130+ seat market segment, we estimate an industry region over last decade is very concentrated on primary markets, demand of up to 350 units over 20 years, depending on how the which are over-competitive and airlines are finding it hard to market evolves, which would enable India to enhance its regional make profits with their large-capacity aircraft. connectivity. These jets would be used to grow secondary and ter- There are about 158 markets where there are typically four tiary markets and with the option of bypassing the major metro

PHOTOGRAPHS: Embraer competing airlines with more than 10 daily flights, yet we have airports to avoid air traffic congestion.

SP’S AIRBUZ • Issue 4 • 2017 • 7 INTERVIEW EMBRAER COMMERCIAL

But enhancing connectivity while improving profitability is the for the E-Jets. Intra-regional RPKs grew at 8.2 per cent CAGR over the key. Not by chance we call the E195-E2 the ‘Profit Hunter’. In addi- past 10 years – a trend that is set to continue, underpinned not only tion of having a similar CASK as A320neo and B737 MAX 8, the by increasing affordability and broadening air networks, but mainly E195-E2 has 20 per cent lower trip cost. But even more important, it by a combination of a massive capacity inflow in the system and the does not erode the yields (unit revenue) as the larger narrowbodies. need to stimulate traffic and populate the ever-expanding fleets. We cannot forget that airline business follows strictly the supply and The Indian market has been topping the month-on-month demand rule. This means when airlines add more capacity (seats) to growth in the last two years, with an RPK growth rate exceeding the market, the competition increases and the price drops. The out- 20 per cent. The airline industry in the member states of the South come is not good for the airlines as they may end up losing money. Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC), led by India, is Last but not least, bigger airplanes are more expensive to buy projected to grow by 9.0 per cent CAGR by 2036 — the fastest grow- and to operate. It is proven that the E-Jets provide a higher Return ing region in terms of RPKs — followed by China with a projected on Aircraft Asset (ROaA), which is what most investors are look- RPK growth rate of 6.4 per cent annually over the next 20 years. ing for. The reason is rather simple: E-Jets provide higher profit This growth will place the two countries, along with Japan and per seat for lower invested capital. In other words, you can get Indonesia, among the ten largest passenger markets in the world higher return for each invested seat. by 2036. While it is clear that Asian airlines will experience strong

SP’s: Which markets are the matured markets in Asia-Pa- cific region? Pereira: Australia and Japan represent the most mature markets in the Asia Pacific region. Generally, a mature market will demonstrate a capacity discipline where capacity is primarily added by increas- ing flight frequency. It also shows an emphasis on convenience, including sophisticated secondary and tertiary city networks, op- erating independently from major Tier-I hubs. In a mature market, there is a co-existence of regional, low cost and full service carriers, each serving and benefiting a segment of the population.

SP’s: Which markets are the developing markets in this region? Pereira: The majority of markets in the Asia-Pacific region can be classified as developing markets. The first thought of course goes to China, whose growth in all segments has been well docu- mented and reported upon. Embraer holds the market-leading position in terms of 70 to 130 seat aircraft operating in China. However it is equally important to highlight that the Indian aviation market has seen some of the highest year-on-year RPK growth rates in the world. Bearing that in mind, and looking to the broader SAARC region, we anticipate that through 2036, RPKs will grow at a compound annual growth rate of 9 per cent. Additionally, with a large domestic population of its own, the Indonesian aviation market will continue to rapidly develop, which will have a further effect on driving greater demand for point to point connectivity through the broader ASEAN region.

SP’s: Which markets are the most promising markets for RPK growth of 5.7 per cent annually by 2036, doubts remain if the Embraer Commercial in next 5, 10, 15 years? airline industry can generate healthy and sustainable financial Pereira: Asia-Pacific for sure is one of the most promising markets performance due to over-capacity and intense competition.

SP’s: Technologically how would you compare Embraer E2 with A320neo and B737 MAX? Can you also indicate “ENHANCING CONNECTIVITY WHILE on specific advantages and disadvantages versus the two IMPROVING PROFITABILITY IS THE programmes? KEY. NOT BY CHANCE WE CALL THE Pereira: The E2 is a new design in a proven platform. In the design of the E-Jets E2, Embraer has always taken the opportunity to make ma- E195-E2 THE ‘PROFIT HUNTER’. IN jor structural, aerodynamic, and systems improvements all drawn ADDITION OF HAVING A SIMILAR from the vast operating experience of the current generation E-Jets CASK AS A320NEO AND B737 MAX programme. The most notable of these include, but not limited to: l An all new wing, with a bespoke design for each member of 8, THE E195-E2 HAS 20 PER CENT the E2 family; LOWER TRIP COST.” l 4th generation full fly by wire system, offering improved flying qualities and fuel efficiency;

8 • SP’S AIRBUZ • Issue 4 • 2017 www.spsaIrbuz.com G INTERVIEW EMBRAER COMMERCIAL l An all new interior, designed in partnership with Priestman- Goode, that takes Embraer’s market leading passenger experi- “OUR PRODUCTS DO NOT COMPETE ence to a new level DIRECTLY WITH THE LARGER The E-Jets E2 is powered by Pratt & Whitney’s next generation Geared Turbofan engine which will have time to mature further NARROWBODIES, BUT INSTEAD OFFER when our aircraft enter into service from 2018 onwards. A COMPLEMENTARY OPTION TO AN The combination of these attributes enables the E-Jets E2 to AIRLINE’S FLEET, BY UNLOCKING THE be the most efficient single aisle aircraft family. It is important to note however, that the E-Jets E2 family spans FLEXIBILITY TO GROW INTO NEW the capacity range from roughly 70-130+ seats, whereas the larger UNSERVED MARKETS.” A320neo and B737 MAX aircraft cover the mid-160s to high-180s range. Thus our products do not compete directly with the larger nar- rowbodies, but instead offer a complementary option to an airline’s fleet, by unlocking the flexibility to grow into new unserved markets. an approximate 50 per cent share of deliveries, we are optimistic Take for instance the E195-E2: it can offer a capacity up to that the E-Jets E2 will reflect a similar appeal.

SP’s: Usually the perception is that turboprops operations remain economical. How do you counter this? Pereira: Inevitably, there will be a niche that turboprops offer the only viable solution for operations. This can include very short sectors, or those routes serving very short (less than 1,200 metres) or unpaved runways. However, once sector lengths begin to increase, the slower speed of the turboprop, makes it increasingly uncompetitive against the jet. In fact, we routinely see this cross-over point between turboprop and jet to lie around the 200-250nm threshold. With the low fuel price environment set to continue for the foreseeable future, the strength of the E-Jets or E-Jets E2 platform on sectors in excess of 200nm versus the turboprop will only grow — and this is even before we consider other E-Jets attributes, such as considerably higher cargo capacity, and superior passenger comfort and experience.

SP’s: In India, the hubs such as Delhi, Kolkata, Mumbai, etc remain quite congested causing chaos, wastage of aviation fuel, etc. What kind of solution do you think you can propose? Pereira: One of Embraer’s strategies in India very much involves the concept of “hub bypass”, or essentially serving 2nd and 3rd tier cities by way of direct connectivity, thus alleviating the need to connect through one of the six major metros. Outperforming Rivals: This bring me back to the comment I raised earlier about the Profit Hunter at the Paris Air show 2017 complementary role of the 70-130+ seat segment with the larger narrow bodies. Given slot constraints and congestion, we recog- nise that airlines will generally prefer to deploy larger gauge air- 146 seats, it can approach the seat cost economics of the larger craft between the major metros like Mumbai and Delhi but this is A320neo, but deliver roughly 20 per cent lower cost per trip. where the smaller E-Jets and E-Jets E2 aircraft can offer a comple- mentary solution to connect those cities that could not otherwise SP’s: What is the current and future contribution of Asia- be economically served by the larger gauge aircraft. These smaller Pacific region in terms of sales of your jets as per your own “right-sized” aircraft offer a new strategic mindset to the airline, market outlook for next few years? as it drives a shift from competing to creating new market space, Pereira: As of the end of 1Q2017, the Asia Pacific region, includ- and seeking out untapped opportunities. ing China, saw 150 E-Jets aircraft in service with 13 operators. This fleet size will continue to increase if we consider our backlog SP’s: What kind of leasing assistance Embraer provides to and the recently announced orders at the Paris Air Show from its potential customers? Which all types of leases – can you Japan Airlines and Fuji Dream Airlines. elaborate a little? Looking to the future, Embraer’s 2017 market outlook esti- Pereira: Both the E-Jets and E-Jets E2 programs have enjoyed mates that the Asia Pacific region, including China, will see 1,710 considerable interest and support from the leasing and finance new deliveries by 2036, and the total in-service fleet reach 1,790 community. This has included some very significant direct or- aircraft over the same 20-year period. ders on both the current generation and E2 platforms. At present, Considering that, within its segment since the 2004 entry into there are roughly 30 leasing companies active on the program, service of the current generation E-Jets, Embraer has maintained representing in excess of 30 per cent of the fleet. SP

SP’S AIRBUZ • Issue 4 • 2017 • 9 DRONES REGULATIONS

DRONES AND CIVIL AVIATION

The variety and number of UAVs in the non-military segment, the roles these are being employed in and their capability as well as performance levels, are multiplying rapidly

BY B.K. PANDEY

N SUNDAY, AUGUST 20, 2017, flight op- (UAVs), in the vicinity of airports or in controlled civil air space, erations at Indira Gandhi International Airport are indeed becoming is a serious hazard to safety of manned air- at Delhi, one of the busiest in the country operat- craft operating in a regulated environment not only in India, but ing around 70 flights in an hour i.e. more than in all other parts of the world as well. one flight every minute on an average, had to be suspended temporarily when late in the evening, UAV – MILITARY AND CIVIL. UAVs have been employed Oa Drone was spotted on one of the three runways for years by the armed forces of several nations across the globe by a pilot of an AirAsia India aircraft that was coming in to land. including India, in a variety of roles. The list of countries using On further investigation it was discovered that the Drone spotted military UAVs, as well as the roles in which these are employed, by the pilot was being operated by civilian photographers without continue to expand and cover hitherto unexplored areas even any authority or clearance, to cover a private function in the vicin- including aerial combat. Today, the United States Air Force ity of the airport. Flight by the Drone was clearly unauthorised (USAF) trains more UAV operators also called “Remote Pilots” and it goes without saying that such unregulated operations by than pilots for manned aircraft every year. In fact, Robert Gates,

ILLUSTRATION: Anoop Kamath ILLUSTRATION: Drones, more appropriately known as Unmanned Aerial Vehicles the former Secretary of Defence when he was in office, had stated

10 • SP’S AIRBUZ • Issue 4 • 2017 www.spsaIrbuz.com G DRONES REGULATIONS that the F-35, the latest fifth-generation aircraft from Lockheed ground, secondly, between the UAV and the Cen- Martin, is likely to be the last manned fighter the USAF will buy. tre (ATC) and thirdly, between the UAV and the other traffic, both Even if the prognosis does not come true, there is little doubt that manned and unmanned, operating in the same airspace. At present, military UAVs will continue to proliferate all over the world. In UAVs are not fully autonomous and as such, reliability of the data the next two decades, the strength of military UAVs in Israel is link, direct or through satellites, between the unmanned platform in predicted to exceed the strength of manned aircraft. While the flight and the Remote Pilot who may be sitting on the ground even rate of growth of unmanned platforms in India, may not be as thousands of miles away, would be of critical importance. high as in the Western nations, the fact is that even with the rate The integration of unmanned platforms with manned aircraft at which this segment is growing at present or is likely to grow in traffic in national air space will require review of current policies, the foreseeable future, will add a new dimension to the problem procedures, standards, regulations, environmental impact, pri- of air traffic management in civil aviation across the nation. vacy and legal issues, identification of deficiencies in current UAV In India, operations by military UAVs are generally undertaken technologies and development of new technologies. The new in airspace controlled by the military. In the civil aviation domain, technologies will have to be developed that will make the UAV UAVs are operated by agencies both within and outside the govern- fully autonomous. There will also be a need for a massive upgrade ment. UAVs employed in non-military applications are generally of ground based Air Traffic Control system and related infrastruc- smaller in size as compared to those used by the military and these ture with clear thrust towards total automation. have been and are being employed for missions related to search and rescue, disaster management, aerial filming, survey, crop spray- THE INDIAN SCENE. While the US and Europe are leading ing and inspection of power or pipe lines. All these operations are global efforts for the integration of UAVs with manned air traf- generally undertaken at very low altitudes and as such have not fic in civil airspace, India is unfortunately lagging far behind. usually been in conflict with regular manned air traffic in controlled The fact is that developments in the regime of UAVs in the civil civil air space except when carried out in the vicinity of active air- domain have not been as impressive as in the West and this is ports as in the case of the episode at Delhi airport cited above. attributable to the absence of favourable policies and regulations What is noteworthy is that the variety and number of UAVs to encourage indigenous design, development and manufacture in the non-military segment, the roles these are being employed of unmanned platforms. This segment of the aviation industry in and their capability as well as performance levels are multiply- also suffers from the absence of security guidelines as well as lack ing rapidly. In view of the immense potential UAVs have to offer of suitable mechanism to enforce these even if these were avail- in the civil domain, their rapid growth is inevitable. As such, the able. This is one reason why there has been unregulated prolifera- resultant implications of air operations in the domain of civil avia- tion of UAVs in India resulting in unmanned platforms becoming tion will undoubtedly be serious and can no longer be ignored. a serious security hazard. As per the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), the civil In 2014, the DGCA had issued a public notice prohibiting the aviation regulatory authority in India, it has become necessary launch of a UAV by private individuals or any non-governmen- to introduce appropriate regulatory mechanisms to ensure the tal agency. This restriction was imposed on account of security proper integration of operations by UAVs with manned aircraft concerns as UAVs whose operations are not properly regulated, operating in controlled civil air space. This is necessary and vital could be used by anti-national elements to carry out attacks for the safety of manned air traffic. against vital installations or public places. Unfortunately, such a notification would unwittintgly have been a serious disincentive INTEGRATING UAVS IN CIVILIAN AIRSPACE. The inte- for entrepreneurs desirous of investing in the Indian aerospace gration of operations by UAVs into controlled civil air space will, industry in the private sector for research and development of without doubt, involve a variety of complex operational, proce- UAVs. Also, as of now, there are no regulations for certification of dural and technological challenges. For UAVs to operate in con- Remote Pilots and UAVs in India. trolled airspace, these platforms will need to meet the same level Two years later, in April 2016, the DGCA issued a fresh circu- of airworthiness requirements as manned aircraft to be certified lar in which the regulator observed that UAVs are proliferating by the DGCA. Each of the elements and technology that make an into the recreational field and are likely to be used in several other aerial platform unmanned such as the “sense-and-avoid” system, domains causing problems for the regulator with regard to safety will require its own airworthiness certification. This is where the of other users of airspace as well as persons and infrastructure industry and the regulatory authority will need to interact and on the ground. The regulator stated that in view of technologi- coordinate their efforts. cal advancements in this field over the years and their increased Just as in the case of a manned aircraft, for a UAV that is in flight, civil applications, it has become necessary to develop guidance there are three areas in which interface will be necessary. These material to regulate this activity. In this circular, the regulator are firstly between the Remote Pilot controlling the UAV from the laid down guidelines for obtaining Unique Identification Number (UIN) as well as for operation of UAVs in civil airspace. However, there were no concrete steps towards proper integration of UAVs with manned air traffic. IN THE WAKE OF THE INCIDENT In the wake of the incident at Delhi airport on August 20 this AT DELHI AIRPORT ON AUGUST 20 year, the DGCA has revived efforts to regulate the use of UAVs THIS YEAR, THE DGCA HAS REVIVED and has announced its intent to come out with a draft regulation for operation of UAVs in the near future. However, proper integra- EFFORTS TO REGULATE THE USE OF tion through automation of UAVs as well as the air traffic control UAVS system is still far away. Regulatory measures on paper will only impede the growth of UAVs in Indian airspace. SP

SP’S AIRBUZ • Issue 4 • 2017 • 11 DRONES SECURITY

AIRPORT SECURITY – PLUG THE GAPS

What magnifies the overall threat matrix is the China-Pakistan collusive anti-India nexus that has no compunctions to exploit terrorism as a tool for terrorising India

BY P.C. KATOCH ILLUSTRATION: Anoop Kamath ILLUSTRATION:

12 • SP’S AIRBUZ • Issue 4 • 2017 www.spsaIrbuz.com G DRONES SECURITY

N AUGUST 20, 2017, flight operations at Delhi airport were suspended for around two hours with closure of the runways when an international airline pilot spotted a drone-like object operating in the area. Later in the eve- ning, another international airline pilot spotted Oa similar object near Terminal 3, following which flight operations were halted for 40 minutes. As per reports, the police have not yet identified the individuals who were operat- ing these drones. Several flights had to be diverted away from Delhi because of these disruptions. This is perhaps the first such incident in India; but there have been many at Heathrow Air- port in London where drone enthusiasts flew their machines close to the airport. The danger here is terrorists using drones to down aircraft and that too by night, as it would be difficult for pilots to spot the drones. Recently, a drone landed undetected on HMS Queen Elizabeth, Britain’s new and largest aircraft carrier. A spokesman for the British Ministry of Defence said: ”We take the security of HMS Queen Elizabeth very seriously. This inci- Chinese made DJI Phantom-4 PRO hi-tech drone dent has been reported to Police Scotland and an investigation is under way. Meanwhile, we have stepped up our security mea- had noticed the man at the terminal for the past few days. CISF sures in light of this incident”. then apprehended Mohammad Abdullah and handed him over While the drone that landed undetected on HMS Queen Eliz- to Delhi Police on January 20, 2016. In 2015, more than 50 people abeth was taking photographs, it could have been deployed for were caught at IGIA, New Delhi holding fake tickets, while about sabotage as well. Just last month, a lone Russian drone reportedly 20 cases were reported in 2016. In March 2016, a young man man- carrying a Thermite grenade, blew up billions of dollars worth of aged to sneak into the IGIA terminal with a pistol. In May 2016, ammunition when it struck the Balakliya military base in East- six men were arrested from the IGIA terminal for roaming around ern Ukraine. We have large built up areas adjacent to airports suspiciously. A week before that, police arrested a foreigner who and along the flight path of aircraft taking off or landing. The had sneaked in to see off his girlfriend. Today also, there are no aircraft are thus particularly vulnerable when flying low during measures in place for checking authenticity of the ticket carried landing and takeoff. Besides, the capabilities of drones have gone by a passenger. Web check-in tickets have barcodes and so do up exponentially. In May 2016, ten DJI Phantom-4 PRO hi-tech passes. So why bar codes can not be made mandatory drones made in China, equipped with advanced satellite naviga- for air tickets issued by airlines and travel agents, which can be tion system and capable of flying at 6,000 metres with a half kg checked at the entrance of the terminal? Also, according to the payload, were seized from a passenger at Kempegowda Interna- media, IGI airport follows the “SHA Security Plan” under which tional Airport, Bengaluru. The DJI Phantom-4 PRO drone has a a person does not have to undergo frisking before entering the “Tap-by-Use“ feature which allows users to tap on an individual terminal building, but is not this taking the easy route? Have we in a crowd on his screen and allowing the drone to lock and track looked around and observed what procedures international air- the person. Now, Florida-based ‘Duke Robotics’ has unveiled the ports in other countries follow? There is no way one can enter TIKAD, a custom-built multi-rotor drone that can carry and fire international airports in countries such as Nairobi or Adis Ababa various military weapons, including semi-automatic rifles and without being frisked as also screening of baggage and Adis Ababa grenade launchers. being major hub on international routes, has equal number of Just prior to Republic Day in 2016, Mohammad Abdullah from daily passengers as IGIA if not more. Another issue is of baggage Hyderabad managed to enter the Indira Gandhi International Air- screening. Earlier, at Delhi airport, baggage screening was done at port (IGIA) at New Delhi on a fake Etihad ticket for UAE and spent the entrance to the ’passenger’ area. But check-in baggage is now ten days in the terminal building unnoticed. The sequence of screened after being booked at the check-in counter. At Kolkata events was as follows. On January 11, 2016, he checked in with Eti- international airport, the screening machine is at one end of the had, who found his ticket to be forged and reported the matter to passenger area and the small placard saying you need to screen the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF). However, he was let the baggage is next to individual check-in counters, which you off. Within an hour, he took another printout of the ticket and re- may notice only after you progress further up in the long queue. entered the airport through another . This time, he remained The CISF provides security services to 59 airports in the country there for ten days before a housekeeping staffer told CISF that he operated by Airports Authority of India (AAI) and a few private companies So why can not procedures be standardised? If we can not ensure screening of baggage before or at the very entrance to the passenger area of the airport terminals, are we not facilitating TODAY ALSO, THERE ARE NO terrorist attacks similar to what happened at Brussels airport? MEASURES IN PLACE FOR CHECKING What magnifies the overall threat matrix is the China-Pakistan collusive anti-India nexus that has no compunctions to exploit AUTHENTICITY OF THE TICKET terrorism as a tool for terrorising India. We need to take the threat CARRIED BY PASSENGERS seriously and plug the gaps in the system to secure our airports SP PHOTOGRAPH: DJI PHOTOGRAPH: for the wellbeing of the travelling public.

SP’S AIRBUZ • Issue 4 • 2017 • 13 REGIONAL AVIATION ROLE JETS CAN DECONGEST MAJOR HUBS

With the major hubs heavily congested, the question analysts ask is why operators do not connect regional airports with ‘right’ size aircraft without transiting through the major hubs?

BY R. CHANDRAKANTH DEHRADUN

DELHI

PUNE ILLUSTRATION: Anoop Kamath ILLUSTRATION:

14 • SP’S AIRBUZ • Issue 4 • 2017 www.spsaIrbuz.com G REGIONAL AVIATION ROLE

NDIAN AVIATION CONTINUES TO soar to greater in layovers. Analysts hope that in ‘UDAN,’ regional connectivity heights. The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) will be such wherein operators will look at routes that will avoid has stated that India’s domestic airlines carried 99.89 million major the hubs. Embraer calls it the concept of ‘hub bypass’. passengers in 2016 as against 81.09 million in 2015, register- ing a 23.18 per cent growth. By 2020, passenger traffic at In- LONG LAYOVERS. One of the examples analysts give is why dian airports both domestic and international, is expected can’t there be a flight between Madurai, a temple town in South Ito increase to 421 million. India has overtaken Japan (97 mil- India to Jaipur, the pink city in Rajasthan or vice versa and the lion domestic passengers) to take the third spot, but it is still way frequency of these flights can be determined based on demand. behind China (436 million) and the US (719 million). However, In- A SpiceJet flight from Jaipur to Madurai takes 7 hours 55 minutes dia will become the third largest market two to three years ahead with two layovers, one in Delhi for 1 hour 5 minutes and another of what has been projected earlier. in Chennai for 35 minutes. This is really stretched for a passen- While such humongous passenger growth is good, the wor- ger who is seriously looking at ‘direct routing’ options, even if it rysome part is that infrastructure, particularly airports, will means paying a little extra as he or she would be saving on time come under severe pressure, unless of course, corrective action and layover issues. is taken and in time. India’s key airports at Delhi, Mumbai, Ben- Presently, there is no such connection and a passenger from galuru, Hyderabad, Chennai, and Kolkata account for 66.5 per Madurai would have to make a trip via Chennai, Bengaluru or cent of India’s total air traffic and the rest comes from the nearly Delhi which is not only additional time in the air, but also addi- 100 other operational airports. The six airports listed above tional airfare. The passenger from Madurai or Jaipur or any other are the major hubs and are facing capacity crunch. These six such unconnected city by direct flights feels let down, even while locations require new airports by 2025-26 or even earlier. Mean- the government is making grand plans for regional connectivity. while, the government is developing 50 un-served and under- While it is good to connect a hub to a Tier-II or -III city, the effort served airstrips as low-cost airports in Tier-II and -III cities. should be to connect Tier-II to another Tier-II or -III city and help Each of these airports is estimated to cost between `100 crore decongest the hubs. to `150 crore. It is not just air traffic congestion at these major hubs, Delhi REGIONAL JETS FOR PAN-INDIA COVERAGE. This and Mumbai being the worst affected, there exist problems at could be done by deploying a regional jet which can fly the the terminal level as well. This is likely to worsen as more planes required distance without any stopover. The reasoning is that sin- get inducted into the fleet of the airlines. Presently, India has gle-aisle aircraft such as the A320 is too big for the journey, leav- over 430 aircraft in service and the airlines are expected to add ing many seats unsold, while the turboprops are ideal for short 100 aircraft in the next 18 to 24 months and over 700 airplanes haul. It is quite a situation for airline revenue analysts who have to in the next decade, all of which will add to the congestion woes suggest the right aircraft for such direct long routes and regional of the hubs. jets are best suited to fill that slot. With seating capacity from 70 to 130, these jets are not only capable of flying the pan-India dis- ‘RIGHT-SIZE’ AIRCRAFT FOR POINT-TO-POINT tance but also can have optimal loads. TRAVEL. With the major hubs heavily congested, the question As the next phase of air traffic growth is expected from analysts ask is why operators do not connect regional airports India’s Tier-II and -III cities, many of these passengers being with ‘right’ size aircraft without transiting through the major first-time flyers, the urgency to provide direct connections to hubs? From the perspective of a passenger travelling from an air- important destinations across the country needs no emphasis. port in Tier-II or -III city, presently is cumbersome. He These travelers are looking at air travel for long routes, while for has to be at the airport at least 45 minutes before departure, add short distance travel between five and eight hours by surface to that the flight time to a major hub, before reaching final desti- transport, they can do it by taking an overnight bus or train or nation. The layover time is a nuisance. Though air travel reduces even driving down. Taking a flight for a destination which is five the travel time from point-to-point, secondary and tertiary sector hours by road does not make any sense, as access to the airport passengers tend to spend more time in accessing the airport and itself takes about two hours (including check-in time, security clearance, etc) and travelling from the airport to the destination takes an average of an hour. The flight time is half hour to 45 CONGESTION AT THE HUBS CAUSES minutes. All one is doing is saving about an hour, but paying an average fare between `2,500 and `3,000. Whether it is worth it, l Much longer travel time only the passenger can answer depending upon urgency and the l Hub airport resources over-stretched preferred mode of travel. McKinsey report on airport congestion in metros states that l Delays in landings airlines tend to deploy bigger aircraft to accommodate more pas- l Delays in take-offs sengers. McKinsey calls it ‘up-gauging’ wherein many airlines l Extra burning of aviation fuel start using bigger planes even on short-haul flights. In 2002, l Double take-off and Double landing nearly half of short-haul seat capacity at Beijing Capital Inter- national Airport was carried on wide-body aircraft. Wide-body l Twice the process of Security clearances usage fell significantly through 2010, as demand picked up for l Unsolicited wastage of passengers’ time travel to secondary Chinese cities. But by 2012, a year after the l Passengers’ discomfort airport became saturated, a new trend began. Wide-body use rose again as carriers were forced to upgauge in order to handle the l Increased environmental issue, thanks to delayed landings increased volume of passenger traffic.

SP’S AIRBUZ • Issue 4 • 2017 • 15 REGIONAL AVIATION ROLE

INDICATIVE INFORMATION AS TO HOW HUBS ARE GETTING CONGESTED AS THE RIGHT CAPACITY IS NOT BEING USED FOR POINT-TO-POINT CONNECTIVITY Bengaluru to Srinagar Bengaluru to Imphal Jet Airways 1 Stop Layover in New Delhi Indigo 1 Stop Layover in Kolkata SpiceJet 1 Stop Layover in New Delhi/Jammu/Chandigarh Air India 1 Stop Layover in Kolkata Air India 1 Stop Layover in New Delhi Hyderabad to Chandigarh Vistara 1 Stop Layover in New Delhi Indigo 1 Stop Layover in New Delhi/Mumbai GoAir 1 Stop Layover in New Delhi Jet Airways 1 Stop Layover in New Delhi Indigo 1 Stop Layover in New Delhi/Chandigarh Air India 1 Stop Layover in New Delhi Bengaluru to Varanasi SpiceJet 1 Stop Layover in New Delhi Indigo 1 Stop Layover in New Delhi/Kolkata/Mumbai Vistara 1 Stop Layover in New Delhi Air India 1 Stop Layover in New Delhi/Mumbai Bengaluru to Lucknow Indigo 1 Stop Layover in New Delhi SpiceJet 1 Stop Layover in New Delhi/Hyderabad Jet Airways 1 Stop Layover in Mumbai Jet Airways 1 Stop Layover in New Delhi Air India 1 Stop Layover in New Delhi Bengaluru to Bagdogra GoAir 1 Stop Layover in Mumbai SpiceJet 1 Stop Layover in Kolkata Hyderabad to Amritsar Jet Airways 1 Stop Layover in Kolkata/Mumbai/New Delhi Jet Airways 1 Stop Layover in New Delhi Air India 1 Stop Layover in New Delhi Air India 1 Stop Layover in New Delhi Indigo 1 Stop Layover in Kolkata Vistara 1 Stop Layover in New Delhi Vistara 2 Stop Layover in Kolkata/Guwahati SpiceJet 1 Stop Layover in Mumbai/New Delhi Guwahati to Hyderabad Ahemdabad to Kochi Indigo 1 Stop Layover in New Delhi/Kolkata/Bangalore Jet Airways 1 Stop Layover in Mumbai/New Delhi Jet Airways 1 Stop Layover in New Delhi/Kolkata/Bangalore Air India 1 Stop Layover in Mumbai/New Delhi Air India 1 Stop Layover in Kolkata SpiceJet 1 Stop Layover in Chennai/Bangalore/Hyderabad SpiceJet 1 Stop Layover in Bangalore Indigo 1 Stop Layover in Hyderabad/ Mumbai Go Air 1 Stop Layover in New Delhi Pune to Dehradun Chennai to Lucknow Indigo 1 Stop Layover in New Delhi JetAirways 1 Stop Layover in Mumbai Air India 1 Stop Layover in New Delhi Air India 1 Stop Layover in New Delhi Jet Airways 1 Stop Layover in New Delhi Go Air 1 Stop Layover in Mumbai SpiceJet 1 Stop Layover in New Delhi Indigo 1 Stop Layover in Bangalore Hyderabad to Lucknow Bengaluru to Dibrugarh Vistara 1 Stop Layover in New Delhi Air India 1 Stop Layover in Kolkata Jet Airways 1 Stop Layover in New Delhi/Mumbai Indigo 1 Stop Layover in Kolkata Air India 1 Stop Layover in New Delhi Jet Airways 1 Stop Layover in Kolkata GoAir 1 Stop Layover in New Delhi Source: Above is an Indicative list out of data collated from respective airlines’ websites

CONNECTION-HEAVY ROUTES GET DROPPED. Evi- but increased the frequency of flights to those cities. In short, as dence suggests that as an airport gets more constrained, air- airports get busier, they offer more flights to fewer cities; uncon- lines drop connection-heavy routes in favour of routes with high strained airports serve more cities, less frequently. This pattern point-to-point demand, which are more profitable. Airlines oper- is similar for longer flights. Seats on direct flights to and from ating out of congested airports tend to increase the frequency congested airports are at a premium. Demand outstrips supply, of flights on existing routes, rather than offer new destinations. which means airlines sometimes increase prices to focus on pre- Between 2002 and 2014, many large, unconstrained airports in mium traffic. In 2012, the average price of a direct flight to or from and around Europe expanded their networks; Charles de Gaulle Heathrow was more than three times that of nearby Gatwick. Airport in Paris added approximately 30 new cities to its list of This makes perfect sense when the travel is from a hub to short-haul destination list during this time, and Istanbul Ataturk another hub or another destination in demand which can be Airport added more than 60. Airlines at Heathrow, however, actu- classified as primary market. This primary market is extremely ally reduced the number of short-haul destinations they serve competitive. Embraer has identified about 158 markets which

16 • SP’S AIRBUZ • Issue 4 • 2017 www.spsaIrbuz.com G REGIONAL AVIATION ROLE

The Brazilian aerospace conglomerate Embraer has created Embraer E195-E2 has something called ‘FleetSmart’, a comprehensive range of fleet been designed to maximize optimization solutions based around three key principles – design returns and efficiency on smart, experience smart and business smart. The E-Jets 170; high-density routes 175; 190 and 195 have been around the world, giving operators an opportunity to capitalize on routes that neither turboprops or wide-bodies can viably handle. The E-Jets are designed for short to medium range flights, thus being the answer to regional aviation. The E-Jets E2 are the latest offering from Embraer and the largest aircraft in the E-Jet E2 family, the E195-E2 has been designed to maximize returns and efficiency on high-density routes, where the A320s and Boeings cannot fly with full capaci- ties. The E195-E2 is optimized to cover more than 99.9 per cent of routes within the single-aisle segment, thus tapping routes which are not hitherto directly connected. The E2 seating configuration comes in categories — three classes 120 seats — 12 seats @36”, 28@34” and 80@31” pitch; Sin- gle class 132 seats @31 pitch and 146 seats@28” pitch. The runway legends have been the ERJ 130; 140; 145 and 145XR. The is making the right noises for regional aviation, while directly and indirectly solving the issue of congestion of airports.

CHINA’S ARJ21 FOCUSING ON SECONDARY CIT- IES. China is aggressively looking at connecting its secondary cities with regional jet and its ARJ21 is rightly positioned for that. The ARJ21 is the first short-medium range turbofan regional air- craft developed by the Chinese. It has a layout of 78 to 90 seats and a range of 2,225 to 3,700 km. The aircraft has already notched up orders of over 400 from 19 different customers, signifying the need to fill the gap between short-haul to narrow-body aircraft and also of the need to connect secondary cities. Similarly, Russia’s SSJ100, a 100-seater airliner is being widely used by Aeroflot to connect the hinterland. While it has a fairly good base in Russia, it has not made any significant inroads inter- nationally, except in Mexico, Armenia and Ireland. SMALLER “RIGHT-SIZED” AIRCRAFT OFFER A NEW STRATEGIC MINDSET BOMBARDIER’S SUCCESSFUL REGIONAL JET PRO- TO THE AIRLINE, AS IT DRIVES GRAMME. Making a strong case for regional jets is Bombar- dier’s CSeries aircraft, the only single-aisle plane specifically A SHIFT FROM COMPETING TO designed to serve the 100-150 seat market. This drives the air- CREATING NEW MARKET SPACE craft’s phenomenal economic proposition and performance, AND SEEKING OUT UNTAPPED opening up new opportunities in this segment. And for medium- haul applications, the CRJ Series family of aircraft is the bench- OPPORTUNITIES mark for regional jet efficiency in the 60 to 100-seat segment, offering up to ten per cent advantage in operating cost, reduced environmental impact and enhanced cabin interiors. With over have about four competing airlines with over ten daily flights and 1,900 CRJ Series aircraft ordered worldwide, Bombardier’s CRJ one can understand the kind of margins the airlines will be hav- Series family of regional jets is recognised as the most successful ing, unless of course, it is peak season when airfares skyrocket. regional aircraft programme in the world. Embraer has identified over 800 markets which have less than Then there is the Antonov An-148 which has a maximum range one to five daily flights which can be easily served by a regional of 2,100-4,400 km and is able to carry 68-85 passengers depending jet. Based on this market study, it has estimated an industry upon the configuration. The Antonov An-158 is a stretched fuse- demand of up to 350 units in the 70-130 seat segment. Making lage version of the aircraft, accommodating up to 99 passengers. similar argument are airframers such as Canada’s Bombardier Meanwhile, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) has announced with CRJ700/900/1000 aircraft, Russia’s Sukhoi offering Superjet that the first delivery of the Mitsubishi Regional Jet (MRJ) will take International, China’s ARJ21, Ukraine’s Antonov with An-148/158 place between mid-2018 to mid-2020, a programme delayed, but it and Japan’s Mitsubishi Regional Jet. is on as there is a market for the medium-range aircraft. These smaller “right-sized” aircraft offer a new strategic mind- EMBRAER’S E-JETS MAKING THE RIGHT PITCH. The set to the airline, as it drives a shift from competing to creating new Embraer E-Jet family is a series of medium range twin-engine market space and seeking untapped opportunities. Besides oppor- SP PHOTOGRAPH: Embraer PHOTOGRAPH: regional jet airliners, carrying 70 to 146 passengers commercially. tunities, it helps in decongestion of hubs across the world.

SP’S AIRBUZ • Issue 4 • 2017 • 17 Interview Pratt & Whitney

Pratt & Whitney is committed to continued customer support to meet the new demands of the 21st century. The PurePower GTF engines are a leader in sustainable aviation. These engines are cleaners, greener and quieter. Pratt & Whitney is transforming aviation with the most technologically advanced engines on the commercial engines, military engines, small jet and turboprop engines. The company opened its Global Customer Training Centre in Hyderabad, India, in September 2015. This is the third centre of its kind in the world. Palash Roy Chowdhury, Managing Director, Pratt & Whitney India, in conversation with Neetu Dhulia of SP’s AirBuz. Pratt & Whitney Transforming Aviation

Neetu Dhulia (SP’s): What is Pratt & Whitney’s contribution Pratt & Whitney is transforming aviation with the most techno- to the emerging aviation market in the country? logically advanced engines on the commercial engines, military Palash Roy Chowdhury (Chowdhury): Pratt & Whitney is part engines, small jet and turboprop engines, and other general, of United Technologies Corporation, one of the world’s largest sup- regional and civilian powered flight engines. With 26 develop- pliers of aerospace products, with an established presence in India. ment and production engine programmes, today is one of the Offering engine solutions for over seven decades now, Pratt & Whit- most exciting chapters in Pratt & Whitney’s history. ney has played a significant role in India’s aviation growth story. The company’s product suite includes large commercial engines, SP’s: How do you foresee India’s Aviation market in view of military engines, small jet and turboprop engines and other general, the UDAN scheme? regional and civilian powered flight engines. Best known for its ad- Chowdhury: India is an important strategic market for Pratt & vanced technology and unique manufacturing techniques, Pratt & Whitney and we see a tremendous opportunity in the Indian gov- Whitney is committed to continued customer support to meet the ernment’s regional connectivity scheme, UDAN which will accel- new demands of the 21st century. The company is proudly leading erate air travel penetration through regional connectivity and will the industry by creating environmentally friendly processes, innova- make air travel affordable for many in India. UDAN scheme is a tive services and more efficient engines. There are well over 100 air- game-changer, as it will stimulate regional connectivity through a craft in India powered by V2500 engines made by Pratt & Whitney market-based mechanism thereby creating huge demands for air and International Aero Engines AG, a consortium in which Pratt & travel. This will also act as a multiplier effect in unlocking India’s Whitney is a majority shareholder. The company is now delivering tourism potential, increasing trade and creating job opportunities the PurePower® Geared Turbofan™ engines for Airbus aircraft or- across verticals. As we move forward, we are slated to have hun- dered by airlines in India. There are also ten C-17 military transport dreds of Geared Turbofan engines powering aircraft in India. This aircraft in India that are powered by Pratt & Whitney’s F117 engines. will be one of the largest install bases for our GTF engine on air- Today Pratt & Whitney Canada powers close to 400 aircraft craft. In the regional connectivity space, aircraft such as the ATR or in general aviation, business aviation, regional aircraft and heli- Q400 are powered by P&W Canada engines. As a long-cycle busi- copters in India. This includes small turboprop in PT6 class and ness, Pratt & Whitney has and will continue to make substantial PW127 and PW150 on Regional aircraft, PW300, PW500, PW600 investments in shaping the future of India’s civil aviation sector. We turbofans on corporate jets and turboshaft engines such as PT6B, understand and are committed to serving the growing demands of PT6t and PW200. Pratt & Whitney Canada also powers the lat- our customers with a futuristic approach of improving the jet engine

PHOTOGRAPH: Pratt & Whitney est Turboprop trainers (Pilatus) inducted by the Indian Air Force. technology, which will power the industry for decades to come.

18 • SP’S AIRBUZ • Issue 4 • 2017 www.spsairbuz.com G Interview Pratt & Whitney

The India-Task Force aims to promote bilateral dialogue by being the voice of the industry, partnering with governments to organise trade missions and advocating for regulatory changes on behalf of its members. The Task Force will engage with various stakeholders to promote international best practices and address potential hurdles that surface as American and Indian companies deepen engagement in India’s burgeoning civil aviation market.

SP’s: How does Pratt & Whitney contribute in reducing the Pratt & Whitney recognises the country’s world-class engineering carbon footprint? and technical proficiencies as well as market opportunities it of- Chowdhury: Pratt & Whitney is developing and powering next- fers. As a company that is deeply embedded in India as an inves- generation propulsion systems and technologies that provide an tor, we firmly support the ‘Make in India’ campaign that translates immediate path to fuel efficiency, lower emissions and noise re- the government’s vision of making India a global manufacturing duction.The need to reduce fuel consumption is one of the key hub. We intend to contribute to the sustainable economic growth requirements of the aviation sector. We have come out with a and generate employment opportunities by building a strong eco- combination of improved engine technology, aerodynamic im- system for nurturing innovation and jet engine production in the provements and weight-saving technology in our engines which country. Pratt & Whitney sources engineering and design services are effective in reducing the carbon footprint.The PurePower GTF from a number of Indian companies for some of its most advanced engines are a leader in sustainable aviation. These engines are aerospace products. We have over 1,000 engineers in India work- cleaners, greener and quieter. ing on global projects. We have established a chair and a centre of Cleaner. The Pure Power PW1000G engine family cuts fuel excellence at the renowned Indian Institute of Science focusing on consumption by 16 percent versus today’s best engines from high-end research in the area of turbo machinery. regional jets to mainline single-aisle aircraft. Fuel efficiency with the new-generation of engines will save airlines about 15 billion SP’s: Tell us about the Pratt & Whitney’s Customer Training gallons of fuel, lowering fuel costs by $40 billion from now to 2025. Centre India. We are working on Gen2 turbofan technology which is targeting Chowdhury: Pratt & Whitney opened its Global Customer additional fuel burn savings for the 2020s and beyond. Training Centre in Hyderabad, India in September 2015. This is Greener. The reduction in emissions among the new-genera- the third centre of its kind in the world after US and China and tion engines will allow airlines to avoid 160 million tonnes of CO2 has been established to support our customers in the region. The emissions through 2025 and cut carbon emissions by more than centre will also help address the shortage of a skilled work force 3,600 metric tonnes every year; equivalent to taking three million in India’s aviation industry. This world-class facility received cer- cars off the road. tification from DGCA in April 2017, which means that the train- Quieter. The PurePower PW1000G engine family reduces the ing centre is now fully approved to offer DGCA-approved training noise footprint by 75 percent. That effectively means that in a sur- sessions on V2500-A5 engines. It is expected to soon offer courses rounding airport community, such as LaGuardia Airport in the on PW1100G-JM and other models from the PurePower® Geared New York City area, about 500,000 fewer airport neighbours will Turbofan™ family of engines. We have already provided over 2000 be impacted with the noise from takeoff and landing. student days training and are working with a number of univer- The GTF is already validated for five different advanced bio- sities and state governments to establish a robust aviation skill fuels, and we are co-leading the process of approving even more. development platform in the country. GTF engines address the whole picture, fuel, emissions, noise and maintenance. SP’s: How do you plan to handle the glitches in the engines of the A-320neo airliners? SP’s: Could you elaborate on your Make in India initiatives? Chowdhury: We are effectively addressing the early-service items

PHOTOGRAPH: purepowerengines.com Chowdhury: India is one of the most important strategic markets. with the help of our partners and customers. The engines are per-

SP’S AIRBUZ • Issue 4 • 2017 • 19 Interview Pratt & Whitney forming as promised in terms of fuel efficiency, emissions and re- economies benefiting from greater access to markets and trade, and duction of noise footprint. The GTF engines continue to produce 16 ensuring militaries around the world are mission ready. P&W has percent fuel efficiency, 50 percent carbon emission reduction and 75 always been a leader in innovation and we take a purposeful approach percent noise reduction, making it the engine of choice for the future. to our digital strategy to continue our industry leadership. Our story goes beyond just data points, to the creation of practical, pragmatic SP’s: Can you tell us about Pratt & Whitney’s aftermarket solutions that drive employee’s wellbeing and customer satisfaction. service EngineWise™? We are intent on delivering this value through prudent investments, Chowdhury: Pratt & Whitney offers a unique combination of building and expanding our digital solutions to get there. technology and innovation that can help improve engine main- tenance planning for customers. Pratt & Whitney is unifying its SP’s: You have been appointed as the Chairman of USIBC aftermarket service portfolio through EngineWise™, the branded India-Task Force on Civil Aviation. What are the objectives suite of aftermarket services, and will introduce new offerings to of this task force? support customers’ evolving needs. It illustrates our commitment Chowdhury: I am honoured to be entrusted with the responsi- to provide smart maintenance solutions to help our customers bility of leading this initiative at a time when the Indian aviation respond faster to their operational needs to run their businesses industry is poised to scale new heights. With the Task Force, we efficiently. A key element of EngineWise is our use of data to pre- intend to support growth of US corporations in India by aligning dict maintenance needs and possibly prevent off-wing events, in with the priority areas of the Indian government and further nur- partnership with our customers. Our philosophy is shared intel- ture the spirit of entrepreneurship and job creation to success- ligence; the smarter we are together, the better service we can fully contribute to the global economy in the coming years.The provide our customer. It offers a number of advantages, including: India-Task Force aims to promote bilateral dialogue by being the l State-of-the art data analytics and real-time intelligence to help voice of the industry, partnering with governments to organise predict and prevent operational disruptions before they occur. trade missions and advocating for regulatory changes on behalf of l Significant investments in new technology and resources to its members. The Task Force will engage with various stakehold- increase responsiveness and flexibility. ers to promote international best practices and address potential l A growing portfolio of service offerings to provide smarter, hurdles that surface as American and Indian companies deepen more straightforward solutions. engagement in India’s burgeoning civil aviation market. l Improved customer communications to drive more transpar- ency and connectivity with our customers. SP’s: What all is being done in the regime of bio-fuels? Can Major offerings under the Pratt & Whitney EngineWise Ser- you share the status on its implementation? vice brand include: Chowdhury: Pratt & Whitney has world-leading expertise in the l Fleet Management Programmes – A customised, compre- development, testing, validation and combustion engineering of hensive dollar-per-flight-hour agreement to optimise cost of sustainable alternative jet fuels (SAJF). Millions of gallons of SAJFs ownership over the life cycle of an engine. have been contracted by commercial airlines with various fuel sup- l Engine Overhaul Services – For operators who prefer the pliers worldwide and Pratt & Whitney engines seamlessly fly with it assurance of a fixed price or time and material engine mainte- every day. Our company continues to examine ways to expand our nance solution. involvement with and usage of SAJFs within our own operations. l Material Solutions – New and serviceable parts and part More robust facts are as under: repair services provided by the engine OEM designed to l Five sustainable alternative jet fuels (SAJFs) are approved for extend part life and improve residual value. use in commercial jet aircraft today. l New service offerings will continue to be added over time, l Seven more are in the testing and approval cycle. based on customer needs. l All are blends of a pure bio-fuel or synthetic fuel with conven- tional petroleum-based Jet-A. SP’s: Can you briefly talk about your new brand platform – l P&W has world-leading expertise in SAJF compositions, test- ‘Go Beyond’ and what it focuses on? ing, validation, and combustion engineering Chowdhury: We recently launched ‘Go Beyond’ - our new brand l P&W has a key technical leadership position within the ASTM platform which represents both the company’s long-standing subcommittee responsible for SAJF approval. commitment to accelerating the technology of modern flight l All engine OEMs participate in the approval process and all and the ‘never stop solving’ mindset of our employees. Over the have to concur on approval. course of Pratt & Whitney’s 90-plus year history, one element of l Once approved, SAJF may be used in any manufacturer’s culture has always stood out and that is dedication to pushing engines. limits and ‘going beyond’ to find the next great innovative step l Approved SAJFs are functionally indistinguishable from con- forward. Every day we touch upon lives of people who depend ventional Jet-A fuel. on Pratt & Whitney engines in service today and it is a singular l Millions of gallons of SAJFs have been contracted by commer- honour for everyone at Pratt & Whitney. cial airlines with various fuel suppliers worldwide and P&W This new platform is based on three solid imperatives: engines seamlessly fly with it every day. l Empowering our employees. l The principle advocacy group for SAJF is the Commercial l Optimising our operations.Engaging customers to transform Aviation Alternative Fuels Initiative (CAAFI). their experience. l P&W is very active within CAAFI, with leadership positions With this new promising platform, We ‘go beyond’ for our part- including co-lead of CAAFI’s R&D technical committee. ners, customers, and most of all, for each other, because we under- l P&W is continuously examining ways to expand our involve- stand what we do results in people connecting with each other, ment with and usage of SAJFs within our own operations. SP

20 • SP’S AIRBUZ • Issue 4 • 2017 www.spsairbuz.com G ENGINES P&W

Pratt & Whitney’s PurePower Geared Turbofan PW1900G engine will power the Embraer E190-E2 aircraft ENGINE DOMINANCE IN COMMERCIAL AVIATION

With over 13,000 large commercial engines installed today, Pratt & Whitney provides dependable power to hundreds of airlines and operators every day

BY R. CHANDRAKANTH

ONNECTICUT-BASED UNITED TECHNOL- Pratt & Whitney provides dependable power to hundreds of air- OGIES CORPORATION (UTC) has all the rea- lines and operators every day. Its fleet of commercial engines has sons to celebrate the success of one of its compa- logged more than one billion hours of flight, powering the nar- nies – Pratt & Whitney which has established itself row- and wide-body aircraft that fly both passengers and cargo as one of the dominant players in engine develop- around the world. ment in commercial aviation. Of all the UTC com- Not sitting on laurels, the company is continuously innovat- Cpanies, Pratt & Whitney has registered encourag- ing in power-plant design, pioneering effort. The company’s pat- ing profits for the quarter ended June 30, 2017 compared to the same ented technology has changed the boundaries of time and short- period previous year, while others are lagging behind a bit. ened the distance between people and places. In the realm of Bringing to the market disruptive technologies, Pratt & commercial aviation, its engine offerings include the best-selling Whitney is expected to take a leading role in commercial avia- PurePower PW1000G; V2500; GP7200; PW4000-94; PW4000-100;

PHOTOGRAPH: www.purepowerengines.com PHOTOGRAPH: tion. With over 13,000 large commercial engines installed today, PW4000-112; PW6000; JTD8 and JTD9.

SP’S AIRBUZ • Issue 4 • 2017 • 21 ENGINES P&W

PUREPOWER PW1000G ENGINE. Pratt & Whitney’s V2500 engines offer the most advanced technologies in the PurePower PW1000G Engine Family is not just a concept or a 22,000- to 33,000-pound thrust range with lowest overall emis- promise for the future—it is reality. With 20 years of research sions in its class. and development, component rig testing on all major modules, extensive ground and flight testing underway, two engines in GP7200 ENGINE. The GP7200 is derived from two of the the family certified and the PW1100G-JM carrying passengers most successful wide body engine programmes in aviation his- on a daily basis, the PurePower PW1000G engine with Geared tory. The Engine Alliance, a 50/50 joint venture between General Turbofan technology delivers game-changing reductions in — Electric Aviation and Pratt & Whitney, was established in 1996 to Fuel burn; environmental emissions; engine noise; and operat- develop, manufacture, sell and support a family of advanced tech- ing costs. nology engines for new high-capacity, long-range aircraft. The In the PurePower PW1000G engine family, a state of the art result is the GP7200, a twin spool axial flow turbofan that delivers gear system separates the engine fan from the low pressure com- 70,000 pounds of thrust for the . pressor and turbine, allowing each of the modules to operate at The GP7200 is derived from the PW4000 and GE90 families. The their optimum speeds. This enables the fan to rotate slower and engine benefits from each programmes’ latest proven technologies while the low pressure compressor and turbine operate at a high and incorporates lessons learned from more than 25 million flight speed, increasing engine efficiency and delivering significantly hours of safe operation on both engines. The GP7200 entered ser- lower fuel consumption, emissions and noise. This increased effi- vice in 2008 with the world’s largest A380 fleet, Emirates. The first ciency also translates to fewer engine stages and parts for lower GP7200-powered A380 was delivered to Air France in 2009. Since weight and reduced maintenance costs. entering service, the GP7200 has achieved a 99.9 per cent departure The PurePower PW1000G engine’s fan-drive gear system is just reliability rating without experiencing a single in-flight shutdown. one component of this next-generation engine. The PurePower PW1000G engine also incorporates advances in aerodynamics, PW4000-94 ENGINE. The PW4000 94-inch fan engine is the first model in the PW4000 family of high-thrust engines. It cov- ers a range of 52,000 to 62,000 pounds of thrust and has five major aircraft applications. Approved for 180-minute Extended-range PRATT & WHITNEY’S ARRAY OF Twin-engine Operations (ETOPS), the engine provides airlines with ENGINES HAVE BENEFITTED AIRLINES excellent operational flexibility and high reliability. Advanced, ser- vice-proven technologies, such as single-crystal superalloy mate- SUBSTANTIALLY AND THIS MAKES rials and its Full-Authority Digital Electronic Control (FADEC), THE UTC COMPANY A LEADER WHO contribute to superior fuel economy and reliability. The engine’s UNDERSTANDS THE NEEDS OF THE benefits are further enhanced by excellent performance retention, long on-wing times and low maintenance costs. COMMERCIAL AVIATION BUSINESS The PW4000’s noise and emissions parameters are lower than WHICH IS HIGHLY VOLATILE, levels required for all current and anticipated emissions and noise AFFECTED BY FUEL PRICES AND regulations. For a further reduction in emissions, Pratt & Whitney’s TALON (Technology for Advanced Low NOx) combustor technol- OTHER FACTORS. ogy is now available for the PW4000. Since entering revenue service in 1987, Pratt & Whitney has delivered more than 2,500 PW4000- 94” engines that have collectively logged more than 120 million dependable flight hours on commercial aircraft around the world. lightweight materials and other major technology improvements in the high-pressure spool, low-pressure turbine, combustor, con- PW4000-100 ENGINE. Pratt & Whitney has taken its trols, engine health monitoring and more. successful PW4000 100-inch engine for the to new heights with the introduction of the PW4170 Advantage70 pro- ADVANCED TECHNOLOGIES. Pratt & Whitney has been gramme. The Advantage70 is offered as a new engine and as an actively testing all key components of the PurePower PW1000G upgrade kit for existing engines. It delivers superior engine perfor- engine family, with 16 technology rigs running around the world. mance, including a two per cent thrust increase, over one per cent The PW1100G-JM engine for Airbus A320neo family of aircraft and reduction in fuel consumption, increased durability, and reduced the PW1500G engine for the Bombardier CSeries are certified. The maintenance costs. PW1400G-JM engine for the Irkut MC-21 aircraft, the PW1200G Developed specifically for the Airbus A330 twinjet and intro- engine for the Mitsubishi Regional Jet and the PW1900G for the duced in 1994, the PW4000 100-inch fan engine has thrust capabil- Embraer E190-E2 are all in testing. The PW1100G-JM began pow- ity from 64,500 to 70,000 pounds at take-off. The engine was the first ering revenue flights in January 2016. in aviation history to qualify for ETOPS prior to entering service. It is now approved for 180-minute ETOPS. Pratt & Whitney supplies V2500 ENGINE. The V2500 engine is designed and manu- A330 customers the entire propulsion system – engine, nacelle, factured by International Aero Engines, a global partnership thrust reverser and accessories. This, along with superb service reli- of aerospace leaders including Pratt & Whitney, Japanese Aero ability, excellent performance retention and low cost of ownership, Engine Corporation and MTU Aero Engines. International Aero make the PW4000 100-inch engine an outstanding value. Engines brings advantages in technical excellence and manu- facturing expertise, with a reputation of producing the engine of PW4000-112 ENGINE. The PW4000 112-inch engine, an choice for the Airbus A320 family. ultra-high-thrust model covering the 74,000 to 90,000 pound-

22 • SP’S AIRBUZ • Issue 4 • 2017 www.spsaIrbuz.com G ENGINES P&W

Airbus A380 aircraft, which is seen at the last year’s Farnborough Airshow, is powered by has four GP7200 engines from Engine Alliance (EA), a joint venture between GE Aviation and Pratt & Whitney

thrust class, is the reliability, experience and ETOPS leader for JT8D ENGINE. Pratt & Whitney introduced the JT8D to com- the 777 aircraft, providing the best customer value. The engine’s mercial aviation in 1964 with the inaugural flight of Boeing’s 727- advanced, service-proven technologies including single-crystal 100 aircraft. The JT8D engine has proven itself to be a highly dura- super alloy materials, powdered metal disks, and FADEC, pro- ble and reliable engine, having completed more than 673 million vide excellent operational performance and durability. These dependable flying hours since entering service. Once deemed the features contribute to the engine’s excellent environmental per- workhorse of the industry, more than 14,750 JT8D engines have formance, which meets with margin all current noise and emis- flown. Today, there are 2,400 engines still in use. sions regulations. Pratt & Whitney has developed a new low-emissions combus- The PW4000 112-inch engine retains the outstanding acces- tion system, or E-Kit, that is FAR 25-certified to ensure the JT8D- sibility and component modularity of other PW4000 family mem- 200 engine stays current with environmental regulations. The bers to reduce maintenance time and cost. For transportability, E-Kit reduces JT8D-200 engine NOx emissions by 25 per cent and the engine can be shipped in a 747F aircraft as a complete engine. exceeds all ICAO standards for new production engines.

PW6000 ENGINE. The PW6000 engine covers the 18,000- to JT9D ENGINE. Pratt & Whitney’s JT9D engine opened a 24,000-pound thrust class and is targeted for 100-passenger air- new era in commercial aviation: the high-bypass-ratio engine to craft. The PW6000 is currently offered on the Airbus A318, which power wide-bodied aircraft. Since entering service on the Boeing is part of the successful A320 aircraft family. 747 aircraft in 1970, the JT9D engine has proven itself to be the The PW6000 builds on proven technology from other Pratt & workhorse for early 747, 767, A300, A310 and DC-10 aircraft mod- Whitney advanced engine programmes to deliver the lowest cost els with more than 3,200 cumulative engines delivered. of ownership for 100-passenger aircraft operators. Pratt & Whit- The JT9D engine family consists of three distinct series. The ney has incorporated technological advances in the PW6000 that JT9D-7 engine covers the 46,300- to 50,000-pound-thrust range, enable a reduction in parts count for lower acquisition cost as and the JT9D-7Q series has a 53,000 pound thrust rating. Later well as a reduced maintenance cost. The PW6000 meets all cur- models, the -7R4 series, cover the 48,000- to 56,000-pound- rent and anticipated noise and environmental regulations. For air- thrust range. For JT9D-7R4 twinjet installations, the engines are lines contemplating the future acquisition of new 100-passenger approved for 180-minute ETOPS. aircraft, the PW6000 is an excellent choice as it was specifically Pratt & Whitney’s array of engines have benefitted airlines sub- designed for high-cycle operation in the demanding short-haul stantially and this makes the UTC company a leader who under- aircraft market. The PW6000 meets the challenges of low cost, stands the needs of the commercial aviation business which is SP PHOTOGRAPH: pw.utc.com PHOTOGRAPH: clean, quiet, reliable, and durable power for airline customers. highly volatile, affected by fuel prices and other factors.

SP’S AIRBUZ • Issue 4 • 2017 • 23 TECHNOLOGY CONNECTIVITY

STAYING CONNECTED

Honeywell is betting big on an estimated $7 billion market opportunity globally in ‘Connected Aircraft’ business offering services that cost much less than in-flight entertainment today. On board the avionics maker’s Boeing 757 test aircraft, we experience blazing fast Internet that could be a game changer in the airline market.

BY ROHIT GOEL ONBOARD THE HONEYWELL CONNECTED AIRCRAFT

ONEYWELL INTERNATIONAL, BROUGHT $10,000 an hour. A connected aircraft can help avoid all that, the IN a ‘connected aircraft’, a Boeing 757, for the first company said. The amount of data generated by a flight is breath- time to India to showcase their connected aircraft taking. “A single twin-engine aircraft can generate up to 844TB technologies and services which can help airlines of data from 12h of flight, which is approximately 27,000 32GB to reduce fuel consumption, maintenance cost iPhone 7s,” Honeywell says. An Airbus A380 is fitted with as many and provide high-seed Wi-Fi on board. Pilots will as 25,000 sensors. Leveraging new technology and much more Hbe able to avoid clear air turbulence thanks to real- reliable high-speed Wi-Fi connections, the Connected Aircraft time weather information, while passengers can download movies connects an airplane’s components and equipment, enabling each at least as quickly as they can at home, all thanks to Honeywell’s to immediately send, receive and analyze data thereby improving Connected Aircraft concept. Estimating the market for connected fleet management, flight safety, passenger experience, mainte- aircraft to be $7 billion globally and that there would be rapid adop- nance, flight operations, aircraft turnaround time and costs. tion of such technologies, Honeywell forecasts that by 2025, an es- The GoDirect Flight Preview application gives pilots a highly timated 25,000 planes will be equipped with Wi-Fi with consumer accurate, three-dimensional preview of the runway and surround- demand making airlines invest in such technologies. ing terrain before they take off to enable preparation for difficult A ‘connected’ aircraft can reduce fuel cost and emission by 5 or unusual approaches. This technology gives pilots confidence per cent, can receive, transmit, analyse and share data enabling to land at new airports and optimize route selection for faster, more informed decision-making, help reduce operational costs safer and more efficient flights. Adjusting to the right flightpath and offer an improved flying experience. Honeywell estimates using GoDirect Fuel Efficiency software reduces the amount of that flight delays worldwide cost airlines about $25 billion and a fuel pilots use as it collects, monitors and analyses data to help

PHOTOGRAPH: Honeywell PHOTOGRAPH: grounded commercial jet, while being worked on, can cost up to operators optimise fuel efficiency and select the most fuel-effi-

24 • SP’S AIRBUZ • Issue 4 • 2017 www.spsaIrbuz.com G TECHNOLOGY CONNECTIVITY

CONNECTED AIRCRAFT

cient flightpaths. With GoDirect Connected Maintenance, air- l Reduces operational disruptions by up to 35 per cent lines can be more efficient and predictive in the way they main- l Cut down Inoperative Equipment by up to 86 per cent tain their fleets. They proactively troubleshoot mechanical issues to avoid aircraft downtime. Passenger Experience On board the connected aircraft, GoDirect Weather gives l Provides 10-100X faster Wi-Fi speeds pilots real-time weather data on the flightpath, allowing them to l Offers high speed connection with fewer drops plan the safest, most efficient routes possible. A new connected l Facilitates smoother and safer flights radar function will provide crowd sourced weather information from other aircraft in the sky and share that information through Flight Operations an app, giving an accurate view of the weather around the world. l Cuts the cost of network disruption Also, the aircraft can provide 10 to 100 times faster Wi-Fi l Saves up to 5% in flight time with ATC priority speeds while ensuring a secure communication link to and from l Improves arrival times and dispatch speed the aircraft. Passengers will get on-board internet at speeds that will be as good, if not better than at home with speeds in excess Ground Operations of 30mbps. The system, called JetWave has seamless global broad- l Reduces “grounded” time band access to the Inmarsat GX satellites. You can download l Avoids costly hazards your movies from your seat and no longer have to do it before l Cuts troubleshooting time by up to 25 per cent you board. With more than 1,000 deliveries to date, Honeywell Access to high-speed connectivity has the potential to bring is advancing in-flight Wi-Fi around the globe. Leading global air- about a revolution in aircraft operations unlocking critical data lines have adopted the technology, namely, Lufthansa Group, Sin- like weather information, engine usage, maintenance reporting gapore Airlines, Qatar Airways, Vietnam Airlines, Air Caraibes, Air and more that can be better shared and analyzed to help opera- New Zealand, Sri Lankan Airlines, Ethiopian Airlines, Norwegian tors improve efficiency and reduce costs. Enhanced passenger Air Shuttle and Air Astana. experience on the plane would be an added benefit. The connected aircraft using big data, analytics and secure Reiterating Honeywell’s commitment to India, Neelu Khatri, communications technology can now better anticipate opportu- President, Aerospace, Honeywell India said “As one of the world nities ensuring smooth experience for passengers while aircraft technology leaders in reliable, global and high-speed connectiv- technicians can get to know what parts of the aircraft need repair ity solutions, Honeywell supports the local authority’s vision for before the flight arrives, helping in faster turnaround times. India’s airlines to offer in-flight Wi-Fi on all flights. Honeywell is dedicated to government initiatives such as ‘Make in India’ and THE BENEFITS OF CONNECTED AIRCRAFT. ‘Regional Connectivity Scheme’, and our focus on developing stra- Fleet Management tegic relationships and investments in high-growth regions sup- l Reduces fuel costs and emissions by up to 5 per cent ports India’s growing aerospace and defence industries”. SP

SP’S AIRBUZ • Issue 4 • 2017 • 25 INTERVIEW HONEYWELL

ONE-ON-ONE “THE IMPORTANCE THAT WE GIVE TO THE INDIA MARKET IS VERY, VERY HIGH!”

Connectivity is all about efficiency and productivity and it can be used by major airlines, the smaller airlines, the business and corporate aviation, even defence aircraft. Honeywell International, brought in a ‘connected aircraft’, a Boeing 757, for the first time to India to showcase their connected aircraft technologies and services. In an interview, Neelu Khatri, President Aerospace, Honeywell India, talks to Rohit Goel of SP’s AirBuz about Honeywell’s connected solutions for the Indian market.

Honeywell’s Boeing 757 Connected Aircraft

SP’s AirBuz (SP’s): Talking about on-board connectivity, SP’s: What kind of time, money and effort has gone into the has there been any kind of research that Honeywell has development of this solution? conducted to identify the demand? Khatri: It has been on for many years. The solution came out Neelu Khatri (Khatri): This is a great market for us. Only when of Honeywell in the last 4-5 years but the development phase is we see a great need in the market, do we start taking up the R&D much longer in the aerospace world. activities. Overall, we are looking at $7 billion in ‘connected’

PHOTOGRAPHS: Honeywell theme, a portion of which is Wi-Fi connectivity. SP’s: And, what is the current status?

26 • SP’S AIRBUZ • Issue 4 • 2017 www.spsaIrbuz.com G INTERVIEW HONEYWELL

On-board the ‘Connected’ aircraft, the range of connected solutions from Honeywell is showcased

Khatri: Globally, Lufthansa airline is using it. Singapore Airline is Khatri: No, the solution will not take any seats away. It is a solution another that is using it. We are in talks with many airlines includ- that gets fitted on the roof of the aircraft and gets connected with ing LCCs across the world. We have conducted this two-day demo the aircraft. All the passengers need to do is to bring their own de- flight in Mumbai and Delhi. We flew with the clients and there is vice, go to the settings and get it connected. immense interest coming up both from Government, private air- lines, full-service, defence, etc. We had a lot of attendees both from SP’s: Will this not lead to noise pollution in a confined the Ministry of Defence and the Ministry of Civil Aviation. space? What do you think about it? Khatri: No. The solutions, before it comes up in the market, be- SP’s: What about permissions and clearances from various fore we launch it, there are every scenarios that are tested on regulatory bodies? Do you already have them in place? these solutions. There are years of R&D that happens. We are Khatri: As far as the policy is concerned, the ministries are deal- very comfortable that there is no impact on the quality and ef- ing with the regulatory body that is working on it. As and when we fectiveness of the solution irrespective of the number of passen- are called in, we give our inputs. As far as the certification, on the gers onboard the aircraft. products are concerned, we have it. Some things we don’t have, that would come up as and when the regulatory go ahead is given SP’s: Should there be any regulation or protocol governing in India. The important part is that we are ready and are extremely the use of in-flight connectivity by the passengers? excited to be coming up in India. This is the first time our con- Khatri: I think it is more about discipline. If you travel in the US nected aircraft actually came to India. For Honeywell, India is a and Europe, there is Wi-Fi connectivity available on aircraft, even high-growth region. So we wait for the nod from the Government. on local trains. There is some kind of a disciplinary guidance that As and when it comes, we will be ready. most of these providers give to the passengers. If we are able to do that, I don’t see any problem. It is more about discipline which I SP’s: Are you offering this only to commercial airlines or am sure that the airlines will also give out those guidelines. business and corporate aviation as well? Khatri: Connectivity is all about better maintenance, saving SP’s: What kind of a price point would a passenger be will- costs, better Wi-Fi connectivity onboard and it can be used by ing to pay for Wi-Fi onboard? major airlines, the smaller airlines, the business and corporate Khatri: That is up to the airlines to do the research and talk aviation, even defence aircraft. It is all about efficiency and pro- about. It is really not for us to say. We are there with the tech- ductivity. nology, with different types of solutions that we can offer to the needs that the airlines come up with – what kind of range, what SP’s: What will it take for a commercial airline to convert kind of bandwidth, how many people, that is up to us. Pricing is its aircraft into Wi-Fi enabled? definitely decided by the airlines. Khatri: The existing aircraft will have to go in for a retrofit. For the newer aircraft on order and most of the airlines in India have SP’s: So what are your expectations from the Indian market? gone in for huge orders, it means to add as and when they receive Khatri: For us, it is a big potential. We call India as our high- it, it gets fitted in. Cost will depend upon the solution that the air- growth region. All eyes, both from domestic leadership to global line wants. There are various kinds of solutions that are available leadership are on India. We know that these are exciting times in and the cost depends upon it. terms of fleet expansion, fleet acquisitions, more number of tails flying, the regional connectivity scheme emerging out in India. SP’s: Will it involve a reduction in number of passenger The importance that we give from Honeywell to the India market SP PHOTOGRAPH: Rohit Goel / SP Guide Pubns PHOTOGRAPH: seats? which is our high-growth region is very, very high!

SP’S AIRBUZ • Issue 4 • 2017 • 27 SHOW REPORT PARIS AIR SHOW 2017

Star of the Show: Embraer displayed its E195-E2 as a hunter, the Profit Hunter at the show. The display which was quite a unique depiction of the aircraft ability, received spectacular attention from the show visitors.

SHOW BILLS $150 BILLION DEALS Continuing on this winning note, the organisers announced that the 53rd International Paris-Le Bourget Air Show, the world’s biggest aerospace fair, will be held from June 17-23, 2019

BY R. CHANDRAKANTH PHOTOGRAPH: Embraer PHOTOGRAPH:

28 • SP’S AIRBUZ • Issue 4 • 2017 www.spsaIrbuz.com G G SHOW REPORT PARIS AIR SHOW 2017

HOUGH THE NUMBER OF visitors to the will sharpen the company’s focus and accelerate its capabilities iconic air show of the world at Le Bourget Air Show, expansion. Boeing Global Services announced multi-year services better known as Paris Air Show, saw an eight per agreements valued at $6 billion during the Show. The announce- cent drop, what grabbed headlines were the as- ments included: Commercial Services: UPS ordered three 767 tounding deals that were struck, totaling over $150 Boeing Converted Freighters; Monarch selected Boeing’s Global billion. There were 897 orders and purchasing com- Fleet Care (formerly GoldCare) and flight training services for its Tmitments for a catalogue value of $115 billion for a entire 737 MAX fleet and Norwegian selected Boeing to provide total of 934 commercial aircraft setting a new record for orders. all its flight training requirements across its Boeing fleet. Govern- The Chairman and CEO of Paris Air Show, Emeric d’Arcimoles, ment Services: Rolls-Royce reached a parts and sales distribution declared “This 52nd Paris — Le Bourget Air Show was a remarkable agreement with Aviall for support of its global fleet of AE defence success with a record number of exhibitors and $150 billion worth engines; the Indian Navy chose Boeing to support its fleet of P-8I of orders announced, despite the slight drop in the number of visi- maritime patrol aircraft and the US Defence Logistics Agency tors. The impressive demonstration flights of Dassault Aviation’s signed a contract with Boeing to support its F-15 fleet. Falcon 8X, the presentations of the A380 by the French aerobatic Airplane Development Vice President Michael Delaney laid demonstration team, the Patrouille de France, the - out the deliberate, disciplined and driven approach Boeing Com- 1000 and A400M and other aircraft delighted the French President mercial Airplanes is following with execution on the MAX, 787- as well as the public from the first to the last day of the show.” 10 and 777X development programmes and the study of how to While the organisers stated that it was a success for innovation, optimally address the middle of the market in the next decade. they also gave out encouraging numbers: Exhibitors - 2381 exhibi- Looking further into the future Product Development Vice Presi- tors (three per cent more than in 2015) from 48 countries (the same dent Mike Sinnett explored the possibilities for advancing auton- as in 2015); trade visitors-1,42,000 (six per cent fewer than in 2015); omous technology to help enhance safety, decision-making and general public-1,80,000 visitors (ten per cent fewer than in 2015). traffic management in the face of continued projected growth in The slight drop in the number of trade visitors can be ascribed to air transportation. Boeing also announced the launch of Boeing a number of exhibitors’ budget restrictions. The drop in general AnalytX, which has brought together more than 800 analytics public attendance may be explained partly by the heightened secu- experts from across the company focused on transforming data rity measures and the heat wave, the statement said. There were into actionable insights and customer solutions. Five customer 27 national pavilions and 140 aircraft on display, both static and agreements were announced to provide solutions powered by aerial.These included the Airbus A321neo, Airbus A350-1000, Boe- Boeing AnalytX. The Boeing 737 MAX 9 starred in the daily flying ing B787-10, Boeing B737 MAX 9, Mitsubishi MRJ90, at Le Bourget display while the 787-10 Dreamliner, P-8A, V-22, AH-64 Apache for the first time. Dassault Aviation’s Falcon 8X, the Airbus A380 and CH-47 Chinook were featured in the static display. and A400M, the Airbus Tiger and NH90 Caiman helicopters were popular with the public. There were 290 official delegations from 98 AIRBUS NOTCHES UP NEARLY $40 BILLION BUSI- countries and seven international organisations, including 160 offi- NESS. Providing strong evidence that the commercial aircraft cial defence delegations from 86 countries and four organisations market remains healthy, Airbus announced $39.7 billion worth of (NATO, the UN, OCCAR and the EU). new business during the 2017 Paris Air Show. The company won commitments for a total of 326 aircraft, including firm orders for BIG BOYS MAKE NOISE. Delegations apart, Paris Air Show 144 worth $18.5 billion and MoUs for 182 aircraft worth $21.2 billion. is a battleground for many airframers. For the aviation compa- A320 Family aircraft sales and commitments were robust, with busi- nies, Paris continues to be a good hunting ground, particularly for ness accounting for a total of 306 aircraft worth $33.8 billion. This the big two players – Airbus and Boeing – who rattle their sabres total comprises 132 firm orders worth $14.7 billion, and MoUs for 174 here, besides Embraer, Bombardier and other emerging players aircraft worth 19.1 billion. In the Wide-body segment, Airbus won from China, Japan, knocking on their doors. business for 20 aircraft worth $5.9 billion, comprising 12 firm orders worth $3.6 billion and MoUs for eight aircraft worth 2.3 billion. BOEING TAKES COMMANDING LEAD OVER RIVAL. John Leahy, Chief Operating Officer Customers, Airbus Com- Boeing strengthened its market position with important announce- mercial Aircraft said: “Our commercial success this week at Paris ments and multi-billion dollar orders and commitments for com- extends our already diversified order backlog to a new industry mercial airplanes and commercial and defence services at the Show. record of over 6,800 aircraft, with 326 orders worth $40 billion.” The company launched the 737 MAX 10, the newest member of the Further to the new orders, the show also saw a repeat order from 737 MAX family, with more than 361 orders and commitments from DHL Express for four more A330-300 Passenger-to-Freighter con- 16 customers worldwide. This wide market acceptance endorsed the versions, in partnership with EFW and ST Aerospace. 737 MAX 10 as the industry’s most efficient and profitable single-aisle Airbus not only marked a solid sales tally but also extended its airplane. Commercial customers announced incremental orders and value offering at both ends of its commercial product portfolio. In commitments during the week for a total of 571 Boeing airplanes, val- the Single-Aisle family, Airbus decided to offer the Airspace Cabin ued at $74.6 billion at list prices. brand which, on the A320, includes the biggest overhead bin in its Boeing revealed its 2017 Current Market Outlook, raising its class. For the A380, Airbus has increased revenue-earning poten- 20-year outlook to more than 41,000 new airplanes, valued at $6.1 tial with even better fuel efficiency, thanks to enhanced large trillion. Boeing also forecasts significant growth in the Aerospace winglets, greater cabin capacity and a new higher take-off weight Services Market, projecting $2.6 trillion demand in commercial capability to increase its payload-range. and government services for the next ten years. Boeing confirmed In addition, Airbus week launched a new open aviation data its new Global Services business remains on track to be up and platform called Skywise to support the digital transformation of running next month. Standing up a global services business the industry and add value for our customers’ operations. Skywise

SP’S AIRBUZ • Issue 4 • 2017 • 29 SHOW REPORT PARIS AIR SHOW 2017

combines Airbus’ aerospace expertise with advanced data analyt- ics solution provided by Palantir Technologies.

EMBRAER’S ‘PROFIT HUNTER’ GETS ATTEN- TION. Among the debutants here was the Embraer E195-E2, the newest member of the Brazilian firm’s family of regional jets. John Slattery, President & CEO of Embraer Commercial Aviation, said that it’s the biggest plane Embraer has ever built and he expects airlines will recognise its value. “It is very cheap to operate, it is very light and we believe airlines will be able to generate extra revenue and that’s why we’ve called it the profit hunter.” Embraer’s E195-E2 made its first international appearance in Paris decked out in a Golden Eagle livery to drive home the point that it is a ‘profit hunter’. “We’ve extended it by three rows and we’ve improved the range by 600 nautical miles to 2,600.” Slattery was con- fident that the new offering would steadily add to its 70-strong exist- ing customer base. “We are going to introduce new customers to the Embraer E-jet family. There will be low-cost carriers as well as tradi- tional flag carriers, so we are broadening our operational franchise.” “We have a broad franchise footprint in continental Europe and North America which account for most of our business. We expect to see sales of about 6,500 units over the next 20 years,” said Slattery. The E2 family of aircraft are powered by Pratt & Whitney’s PW1900G and use cockpit technology from Honeywell Aerospace. The E195-E2 which can be configured to 144 seats, is expected to enter service in 2019. At the Show, Japan’s Fuji Dream Airlines ordered up to six E175s which is included in Embraer’s 2017 second quarter back- log. Besides, FDA has also extended the agreement for Embraer’s Flight Hour Programme (Pool) for up to eight years. Similarly, Japan Airlines made an order for an addition E190 following one year of E190 operations in Japan. AIR currently operates seven E190s and 17 E170s – 24 E-Jets in total, with an additional eight E-Jets on back- log. KLM Cityhopper ordered two additional E190s which will join the existing 30 E190s and nine E175s flying with KLM Cityhopper. Deliveries for the newly ordered aircraft are scheduled for 2018. When KLM Cityhopper’s move to an all Embraer fleet is complete, (Top) Double-deck, wide-body, four-engine jet Airbus A380 and a321 on the airline will have 49 E-Jets, the largest E-Jet fleet in Europe con- display at the show; (Above) Earlier this year, ATR signed a deal for 50 sisting of 32 E190s and 17 E175s. The national carrier of Belarus, ATR 72-600 with the indian carrier IndiGo Belavia acquired two additional E-Jets: one E175 and one E195. The aircraft will join the four Embraer jets already operated by Belavia will increase from 2,700 aircraft in 2016 to 6,710 by 2036, the fast- — two E195s and two E175s. The acquisition is an essential part of est growing segment among all aircraft seat capacities. Market Belavia’s fleet renewal initiative, a core priority in the airline’s busi- growth will drive 63 per cent of total demand and the remaining ness strategy. Embraer also announced firm orders and commit- 37 per cent will be delivered to replace ageing aircraft ments for the E2 family from two undisclosed customers. Demonstrating the company’s unique position within the These consist of ten E195-E2’s, with an additional ten pur- commercial, defence and executive aircraft markets, three chase rights for the E190-E2. Also, according to the latest Market Embraer aircraft were at the Show. This was Embraer’s largest Outlook, Embraer projects a steady market demand for 6,400 new presence at a major air show bringing together a static display jets in the 70-130+ seat capacity category (2,280 units in the 70-90 that showcased the new E195-E2, the largest member of the sec- seat segment and 4,120 units in the 90-130+ seat segment), worth ond generation of Embraer’s family of commercial jets, the multi- $300 billion, by 2036. The 70-130+ seat jet world fleet-in-service mission transport and aerial refueling aircraft KC-390 and the state-of-the-art mid-light business jet Legacy 450, a remarkable union of technology and design aircraft that flies faster and far- ther than any other jets in its class. The acclaimed runway legend AIRBUS NOT ONLY MARKED A SOLID ERJ 145 was also on static display. SALES TALLY BUT ALSO EXTENDED ITS VALUE OFFERING AT BOTH ENDS ATR BEGINS 2017 ON A GOOD NOTE. ATR has received commitments for the purchase of 89 aircraft and options for 20 OF ITS COMMERCIAL PRODUCT additional ones since the beginning of the year. These commer- PORTFOLIO cial results have enabled the regional turboprop manufacturer to

PHOTOGRAPHS: Airbus, ATR PHOTOGRAPHS: achieve, in less than six months, a book-to-bill ratio in excess of one.

30 • SP’S AIRBUZ • Issue 4 • 2017 www.spsaIrbuz.com G SHOW REPORT PARIS AIR SHOW 2017

our aircraft provide the best solution at the lower risks. Regional communities in China, India, Iran or Senegal are about to experi- ence what the brand new ATR -600s can bring not only in terms of passenger comfort, but also in terms of business development”

PRATT & WHITNEY GETS EXTENDED RANGE ELIGI- BILITY. Pratt & Whitney announced the grant of 180-minute Extended Range Operations (ETOPS) eligibility for its PurePower PW w-JM engine by the European Agency. “This is a significant milestone for both the Pratt & Whitney team and the PurePower engine family. This 180 minute ETOPs classification is the maximum required in its class,” said Chris Calio, President, Pratt & Whitney Commercial Engines. The US Federal Aviation Administration had approved ETOPs for the engine in December 2016. ETOPS certification sets the maximum allowed amount of single-engine flying time that an aircraft can be from the nearest suitable airport. The PW1100G-JM engine powers the A320neo.

BOMBARDIER SIGNS UP SPICEJET. Bombardier Com- mercial Aircraft has signed a letter of intent (LOI) with Indian low-cost carrier SpiceJet for up to 50 Q400 turboprop airliners. The LOI includes 25 Q400 turboprops and purchase rights on an additional 25 aircraft. Based on the Q400 turboprop list prices, the order could be valued at $ 1.7 billion. “When finalised, the repeat order will increase the Q400 aircraft fleet in the fast- growing market in the Asia-Pacific region and will launch the high-density 86-passenger model of the Q400 aircraft in India,” said Fred Cromer, President, Bombardier Commercial Aircraft. “This is also compelling evidence that the demand for turboprop aircraft is healthy in short-to medium-haul markets that can’t eco- nomically support jets that are more expensive to operate.” “Spice- Jet operates India’s largest regional fleet and is the only organised operator in this space,” said Ajay Singh, Chairman and Managing Director, SpiceJet. “The acquisition will help us further increase con- nectivity to smaller towns and cities and help realise Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of ensuring that every Indian can fly.” (Top) Boeing 737 MAX 9 on the display; “The Q400 is the largest turboprop aircraft available on the (Above) Mitsubishi Regional Jet (MRJ) FTA -3 was on static display at market and the 86-seat configuration will support SpiceJet Le Bourget Airport, Paris develop its domestic operations from Tier-2 and Tier-3 cities across India,” said François Cognard, Vice President, Sales, South- At the Paris Air Show, ATR announced new deals that will Asia and Australasia. Since 2010, SpiceJet has taken delivery of 15 enable both ATR 42-600s and ATR 72-600s to develop new mar- Q400 aircraft. The airline currently operates 20 Q400 aircraft in a kets in China and Africa in particular. It announced two addi- 78-seat configuration to domestic and international destination. tional orders: one ATR 72-600 from Sweden’s BRA, which brings the airlines’ ATR 72-600 fleet to ten aircraft and one ATR 72-600 MRJ DEBUT. Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) and Mit- from Air Tahiti, a long-standing partner that has been operating subishi Aircraft Corporation brought the third Flight Test Air- ATRs for three decades. In total, five new deals were announced. craft (FTA-3) of the Mitsubishi Regional Jet (MRJ) to Le Bourget Earlier this year, ATR signed a deal for 50 ATR 72-600s with Airport and the new generation regional transport was on static the Indian carrier IndiGo, along with orders for 20 ATR 72-600s display. This was the first trip to Europe for the MRJ. The aircraft and 20 options with Iran’s national flag carrier, Iran Air. Since Jan- conducted the ferry flight to Paris from Moses Lake via Winnipeg uary, five customers have purchased ATRs for the first time, thus and Goose Bay, Canada and Keflavik, Iceland. FTA-3 is in the liv- further strengthening ATR’s leading position and attractiveness ery of launch customer All Nippon Airways Co, Ltd (ANA). among carriers operating in the regional sector. “I can’t think of a finer stage on which to present this highly The 89 orders booked since the beginning of the year are val- anticipated next-generation aircraft. The European debut of the ued at over $2.3 billion. As of today, ATR has a backlog of over 250 aircraft is another sign of the progress of this programme,” said Shu- aircraft, corresponding to production for about three years. Chris- nichi Miyanaga, President and CEO, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries. tian Scherer, Chief Executive Officer of ATR, declared: “The level Yes, Paris is a fine stage for aviation companies. Despite the of sales we have booked in less than six months reflects a positive fewer footfalls, the organisers were exuberant as the deals made all evolution in the market and that the ATR aircraft are the optimal the difference. Continuing on this winning note, they announced choice to open new routes at the lowest operating costs for air- that the 53rd International Paris — Le Bourget Air Show, the world’s SP PHOTOGRAPHS: parisairshow.tv, ASDS Media parisairshow.tv, PHOTOGRAPHS: lines. No matter where there is potential for regional connectivity, biggest aerospace fair, will be held from June 17-23, 2019.

SP’S AIRBUZ • Issue 4 • 2017 • 31 FINALLY THE MALAISE WITHIN

In its report in which the CAG has held the Ministry of Civil Aviation responsible for the financial loss, the government auditor has finally managed to bell the cat!

REPORT IN THE INDIAN media in the recent past is relatively much less, there has been complete laxity in con- indicated that the Comptroller and Auditor General of trol and management of the system of collecting dues from India (CAG), has pulled up the Ministry of Civil Aviation private operators. This case in point pertains to three agencies A for failure on its part to adopt appropriate measures to that were involved in this exercise namely Kingfisher Airlines recover dues of `9.19 crore from Kingfisher Airlines when it was who was the operator of air services, the Bangalore Interna- still operating. The figure of `9.19 is indeed paltry when viewed tional Airport Limited (BIAL), the company responsible for in the context of the sum the former Chairman of Kingfisher running the International Airport at Devanhalli, Bengaluru, Airlines owes to the consortium of Indian banks which is $1.4 now renamed as Kempegowda International Airport (KIA) and billion or in the region of `9,000 crore. This is nearly a thousand MoCA representing the government. times the amount the defunct Kingfisher Airlines set up by the It was the responsibility of Kingfisher Airlines to collect Pas- now fugitive business tycoon Vijay Mallya owes to Indian banks senger Service Fee (PSF) as part of the ticket sold to the pas- and the government. And with the passage of time, the dues will senger. Thereafter, it was the responsibility of BIAL to collect only grow on account of interest that will continue to accumulate the PSF periodically from the Kingfisher Airlines and deposit it on the original amount owed with the concerned depart- to the two agencies. In fact ment of MoCA. Owing to the the sum owed to the Ministry total financial mess, King- of Civil Aviation (MoCA) has fisher Airlines had landed in, grown to `17.44 crore as of end it had discontinued transfer- March 2016. ring PSF to BIAL. The latter in Vijay Mallya, son of Vittal turn failed to take any steps to Mallya took over as Chairman ensure that Kingfisher Airlines of United Breweries Group fulfilled its obligation. The net in 1983 after the demise of result was that the financial his father. Since then, the liability on Kingfisher Airlines Group has grown into a multi- continued to mount and BIAL national conglomerate of over failed to take appropriate mea- 60 companies. In 2005, when sures to recover dues from the there was a boom in the Indian airline, possibly on account of civil aviation industry, Vijay the high profile of its owner. Mallya launched the glamor- As a result, the MoCA was the ous Kingfisher Airlines, named loser. Instead of taking steps after the major alcoholic drink to recover the dues from King- produced by the company. Unfortunately, owing fundamentally fisher Airlines, in March 2014, BIAL approached the MoCA with to flawed financial management and somewhat unwarranted a proposal to write off the dues recoverable from the airline. extravagance, this new business venture collapsed and the Airline MoCA was obviously in no position to accede to this request as had to be closed down in September 2012 leaving a huge finan- it would be an undue favour to the defaulter and condoning of cial liability on the company and on Vijay Mallya personally. As a failure of BIAL to fulfil their financial responsibility. What is even result of this mess, Vijay Mallya has landed up on the wrong side more strange is the fact that MoCA was fully aware of the fact that of the law. He has been accused of being a “wilful defaulter” under Kingfisher Airlines was in default of timely remittance of PSF, but the Indian legal system and is facing charges of money laundering did not direct the airport operating agency to collect or remit the and misappropriation. dues or initiate any other action in the matter. Despite being armed with a huge legal machinery, the gov- In its latest report on the subject in which the CAG has held ernment appears to be at a loss as to what would be an effec- MoCA responsible for the financial loss, the government auditor tive road map for recovering the humongous sums owed by has finally managed to bell the cat! SP Vijay Mallya to the banks in India. In the case of sum owed

ILLUSTRATION: Anoop Kamath ILLUSTRATION: by Kingfisher Airlines to MoCA, even if the amount involved — B.K. PANDEY

32 • SP’S AIRBUZ • Issue 4 • 2017 www.spsaIrbuz.com G

“In a country like India with limited support from the industry and market, initiating 50 years ago (in 1964) publishing magazines relating to Army, Navy and Aviation sectors without any interruption is a commendable job on the part of SP Guide“ Publications. By this, SP Guide Publications has established the fact that continuing quality work in any field would result in success.”

Narendra Modi, Hon’ble Prime Minister of India (*message received in 2014)